Minoo Shroff, Global President, WZCC,
talks about the year in retrospect
and shares details about the Business
Economic Meeting that took place on
4th and 5th January 2013, in Singapore

Architect extraordinaire, Dinyar Wadia has
succeeded in revolutionising the highly
competitive world of architecture. Today,
he is the most influential person in his field
in the US. Synergyz brings you a full length
story on him.

message

22-23 Padma Awards

Two eminent Zoroastrians made the
community proud by winning the
Padma Awards in 2013. They are:
1. Noted Industrialist,
Adi Burjor Godrej who won the Padma
Bhushan
2. Dr. Mahrukh Tarapor who won the
Padma Shri.

43 GR8! Women’s Achiever
Award
More accolades for Gulshan Kavarana,
who wins the prestigious Women’s
Award this year in Dubai.

66-67 WZCC AGM

Synergyz brings you highlights of the
high profile event that took place in
Singapore this year.

68-69 WZCC Awards

WZCC awarded four top
Entrepreneurial and Professional
members from the community this
year. The four eminent awardees were:
•
•
•
•

India’s Poweranis have come a long way, says
Bachi Karkaria and they are forging ahead
in different fields. It’s a powerful feeling but
how are they handling it?

20-21 Success Story

A success story on Farhad Irani, the
quintessential banker, who has established
for himself an enviable reputation in the
financial sector.

26-28 Failure is an option,
Fear is not

An entrepreneurial perspective by
Dr. Durgadoss, an inspirational speaker and
the writer of Business Fiction – ‘A Saint in
the Boardroom’.

30-31 Five Critical Elements
to Effective Change
Fred Sarkari, an International Speaker
and Author, discusses why people should
embrace change and not consider it an
obstacle to realizing their goals

32-33 Managing Age
Differences in a work place
Oksana Tashakova – Elite Executive
Coach, Change, Organizational and Talent
Development Expert, discusses different
expectations of different generations of
workers in the work place.

36-37 Farewell to a man of
letters

A tribute to Ardeshir Cowasjee - the
Entrepreneur, Writer, Public figure and a
Philanthropist, who passed away on 24th
November, 2012 in Karachi.
December, 2013

SynergyZ

5

Contents

GLOBAL COLLAPSE OF
BUSINESS CREDIBILITY

38-41

46-47

50-51

Part II – Short profiles of four
eminent women from our community
– Zia Mody, Pheroza Godrej, Deena
Motiwalla and Homai Modi who
have raised the bar to a new level and
made things happen.

Is the entrepreneur’s spouse really
valued? Find out more from Nozer
Buchia, the internationally acclaimed
Speaker and the Author of: ‘Why
Entrepreneurs really fail and the
Roadmap to success’.

Some valuable and thought provoking
insights on doing business and
creating a viable work ethos based on
the personal experiences of Pheroze
Kharas, MD, Ecoplast Ltd

Hall of Femme

The Silent Partner

The dynamics of doing
busineSS

42

48-49

52

Owning a home is a keystone of
wealth – both financial affluence and
emotional security - Behzad Kharas
Chairman & Managing Director, THE
BNK GROUP, talks about the Realty
Sector in 2013 and throws light on
new properties coming up in Mumbai
and Pune.

The infinite wisdom of doing the
right thing for the right reasons
and the time tested virtues of life
have disappeared, but there is still
hope that things will change for the
better, and come a full circle, says
Adi Siganporia, Chairman, WZCCMumbai Chapter

Return to Roots aims to provide youth
living in the diaspora an opportunity
to experience Zoroastrian India
through short tours led by
community experts and scholars.

Comfortable homes at
Budget Price

Global collapse of
business credibility

Zoroastrian return to
roots

53

Maharajas Express

Bandana Jain narrates how one of
India’s best luxury trains, offers a
blend of five-star hospitality and
high-tech modern amenities for those
who wish to travel in Maharaja style.

6

SynergyZ

December, 2013

0 - Dec

13

r 20

Years

200

be

W

b

er

ng

Dece m

13
C Celebrat
i
ZC

em

TY

54-55

60-61

Umeed Kothavala, CEO, Extentia
Information Technology says, it’s
time for reverse migration to India
and outlines the pros and cons for
consideration by experienced and
talented Indians with international
exposure.

Priyest Kapadia, Partner and Head of
Advisory Services in BDO’s UAE office
outlines different ways of setting up
of office presence in the UAE.

Home Bound

56-57

The Role of Coaching

Looking for benefits of personal and
professional coaching? Read more as
Adil Sarkari, NSW Manager, Services
Central, and President WZCC,
Australia, lifts the shroud of mystery
between Management and Coaching.

58-59

More than just a Degree
of skill

To succeed in life today, one not only
needs a proper education, but also
new skill sets that are in tune with the
times. Nowshir Engineer, MD, EMDI
discusses whether a good education is
a key to success or is there something
more that is required to obtain
success in any venture.

his is an exceptional issue and a great deal of thought has gone into it. In the
divisive times that we live in, the need to weave a thread of unity and talk of
positive achievements becomes a mandate. It feels truly gratifying that we have
been able to connect with so many men and women who have literally touched the
stars in their professions and today, stand as examples to the new generation for their
sterling attributes and their commitment to their work ethic.

Meher Bhesania
Chairman, SynergyZ

I also need to
share some
good news that a
mega event titled
‘Enterprise Dubai’,
is scheduled to
take place in Dubai
from19th to 21st
December 2014.
This event will bring
under one roof
some of the most
respected names in
the world...”

It is never easy to select the contents when so many of them jostle for space, but we
have tried to do justice to the subjects, ranging from a heartwarming piece on retracing
one’s footsteps to the mother country, underscoring the efforts of women who have
broken through the glass ceiling and covered an article on setting up a new business in
the UAE. On the lighter side, we trace the origins of the incredible six yards of material
called a saree, discuss the role of Parsis in cinema as Indian Cinema completes 100
years, and place the spotlight on the role of ‘The Silent partner’… the entrepreneur’s
spouse who holds it all together and enables the partner to reach for the sky.
There are several other stories in our 12th issue which we are confident will rivet you.
Now, I need to say something special.
I congratulate Dr. Cyrus Poonawala, Chairman WZC, Mr. Nadir Godrej, Vice Chairman,
WZC, the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) and the Organizing Team for hosting the
10th World Zoroastrian Congress in Mumbai this year, WZCC for completing 13 years
and SynergyZ for completing 9 years. Each of these milestones is a testament to our
sense of commitment in playing a positive role in the community affairs.
I also need to share some good news that a mega event titled ‘Enterprise Dubai’, is
scheduled to take place in Dubai from 19th to 21st December 2014. This event will
bring under one roof some of the most respected names in the world in the fields of
technology, business, the arts and sciences, trade and telecommunications. So block
your dates from now and attend the event!
In the interim, on behalf of SynergyZ Team, I wish you all good health, all the success
in your adventures and unreserved love for our Zoroastrian family.

he year 2012 was a tumultuous one. Most economies, both developed and emerging,
suffered downturn. India was no exception though it fared better than many others.
However, in India several companies with farsighted vision, sound financials and good
corporate governance managed to steam along at a good pace with confidence in the future.
Though new investments were on the whole tardy many companies are quite upbeat about
the future and are forging ahead with fresh capital outlays as also new recruitments. This
reinforces the fact that sound long term planning, healthy balance sheet and good professional
management ultimately thrives.

Minoo Shroff,
WZCC, President

It was refreshing
to listen to so
many outstanding
businessmen and
professionals who
presented a global
perspective of
how challenging
it was to operate
in a totally free
economic
environment
uncluttered by
bureaucratic red
tape.”

The year in retrospect was an exciting one for WZCC. The Board’s decision to hold the AGM in
Singapore turned out to be propitious. Holding AGM in a country with hardly 250 Zoroastrians
was a challenging task. Though the attendance was modest, as was only to be expected, it was
very gratifying to find participation from a highly involved diaspora spread across the globe
including many from the USA. The sessions were very well conducted, the presentations
excellent and the interaction from the audience stimulating. It was refreshing to listen to
so many outstanding businessmen and professionals who presented a global perspective
of how challenging it was to operate in a totally free economic environment uncluttered
by bureaucratic red tape. The Business Economic Forum, conceived by our two stalwarts
Rohinton Rivetna and Rustom Engineer, was launched by Neville Shroff a business tycoon
from Hong Kong and Chairman of Asia Africa and European Committees of the Hong Kong
General Chamber of Commerce. He very astutely guided the deliberations. The other Panel
Members made crisp and lucid presentations. This was indeed a happy augury for the future.
The finale was equally pleasing. Three Awards were presented to outstanding achievers:
Ms. Homai Engineer - Outstanding Entrepreneur –
Having been a pioneer in the private sector in India in the field of Steam Boilers and Turbines.
Capt. Percy Master – Outstanding Entrepreneur –
Displaying rare entrepreneurial qualities in diversified fields and a leading player in the Maritime & Logistics Sector.
Mr. Bomi Bhote – Outstanding Zarathushti Professional –
For exceptional commitment towards providing Innovative Medical solutions.
Dr. Zuleika Homavzir – Outstanding Young Zoroastrian –
For achieving excellence in Higher Education and Social Initiatives.

An Award function was also organized in Mumbai later to recognize their achievements
amongst peers and friends in India. The tempo of activities continued apace with a few
chapters running ahead of others. Efforts continued to revitalize some of the Chapters which
have been slow in taking off due to some inherent problems. Quarterly Board Meetings are
being held through video conferencing so that we keep in touch with International Directors
spread across the globe from Sydney in Australia to Vancouver in North America. At the AGM
held in Singapore seven new International Board Members were elected. They are enthusiastic
and committed individuals and their induction will certainly help reinforce the Board’s efforts
to propel WZCC forward. The next AGM will be held in Mumbai, India, on 26th December
2013. It is planned to organize a get-together over dinner on the 25th evening to ensure better
bonding amongst our widely spread fraternity. We all look forward with greater zeal to the
future.

December, 2013

SynergyZ

11

WE_Ad.pdf

1

10/6/13

12:56 PM

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

WE (Women Entrepreneurs)
'The Women's Wing of WZCC'
“WE” provides a platform for professional grooming, idea validation, strategic alliances and enterprise promotion.
Women from all spheres, businesses and professions are welcome to join “WE” and realize their true potential
and discover the power of being a woman.
If you become a member of “WE”, you automatically become a member of World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce (WZCC).

For membership and program details contact:
Dolly Dhamodiwala
Chairperson, WE
+91-99203 68979
Dolzeen@gmail.com

Excellence and Trust
â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Architecture has recorded the great ideas of the human race. Not only has every religious symbol, but
every human thought had its page in that vast book.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; - Victor Hugo

I

t is said that architecture
is frozen music and the architect is
the conductor of the symphony. The
conductor puts together the orchestra and
creates a magnum opus that speaks for itself.
Architect extraordinaire Dinyar Wadia is one
such person. His art is not just a recreation
in the form of leisure but a recreation in
terms of expressing himself through brick
and mortar and producing one-of-a-kind
classical architectural masterpieces.
The Connecticut (USA) based Wadia has
succeeded in revolutionising the highly
competitive world of architecture and is
reckoned as one of the most influential
persons in his field today.
Combining profound intellect and sharp
business acumen, the self-made genius is
an established name in tastefully designing
and building picture-perfect traditionallystyled homes, gardens and interiors for his
high-end clientele. By raising the bar and
taking creativity to another level, he has
established a credential and an imprimatur
that is entirely and indelibly his.

Dinyar Wadia
14

SynergyZ

December, 2013

Although Wadia has worked worldwide,
nothing carries the distinct stamp of his
individuality in suburban America as the
exquisite, finely-detailed old-style homes
his firm has imaginatively carved out in
Fairfield County, Connecticut. The artist in
Wadia has gone to great lengths to draw a
beautiful canvas with his very own signature.
These distinctively gorgeous residences
are the crowning glory of his achievements
and have been recognised for the splendid
harmony they bring between the past
and the present. In an ever so gentle and
smooth way, these living spaces enhance the
landscape by effortlessly blending in with
the surroundings.

Born in Mumbai, Wadia developed his love
for architecture at a young age. The majestic
buildings erected in the city by the British
during India’s colonisation inspired him to
conceptualise and design a style that stands
out as essentially his. Among the edifices
that struck his fancy were the Gateway of
India, the Bombay Zoo, the Opera House
and the Municipal Library. They offered
him an enviable introduction to traditional
architecture. He was also taken in by the
breathtaking façade of Victoria Terminus –
now known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
– India’s premier example of Hindu and
Gothic architecture constructed by the
British some 125 years ago.

After honing experience for five years in
Christ-Janer’s office, he decided it was time
to go it alone. The beauty and charm of the
traditional buildings in New Canaan was
more inviting than the modern vernacular he
was working in at the office. So, undaunted
by what lay ahead, he set up his own firm,
Wadia Associates, in 1975.
His company continues to grow storey
by storey. Numerous projects of Wadia
Associates today appear in at least two dozen
varieties of notable architecture magazines
and journals. Their first monograph, New
Classicists: Wadia Associates, is available at

0 - Dec

13

r 20

Years

200

be

W

b

er

ng

Dece m

13
C Celebrat
i
ZC

em

The artist in Wadia has
gone to great lengths
to draw a beautiful
canvas with his very own
signature’’

There were other awakenings. Struck by
the need to ensure that a home must have
a bond with its location, he spent many
happy summers absorbing the intricacies
of extraordinary houses belonging to
family and friends outside Mumbai city.
Surrounded by water features and gazebos,
it is here that the young Wadia developed
an appreciation and a penchant for the true
relationship between a home and its greens.
Growing up with these early influences
it was but natural that he would pursue
nothing but architecture. After completing
a five-year programme at the Maharaja
Sayajirao University of Baroda in India, plus
a year’s study of fine arts and several courses
in landscape architecture, he got married
to Gool Wadia. They lived in the country
for a brief two years before dissatisfaction
about the ‘role’ played at that time by
the architect in India set in. New York’s
Columbia University beckoned with an allexpenses-paid offer and soon the Wadias
set sail for the Big Apple. India’s loss was
to be America’s gain. In 1969, he graduated
at the top of his class and was awarded the
prestigious William Kinney Fellow for best
design. There would be no looking back
from then on.
Wadia joined the architectural firm of
Victor Christ-Janer, one of his professors
at Columbia University, in New Canaan,
Connecticut. The years spent there were
rewarding and he learnt two invaluable
lessons under the prof’s tutelage -- the
importance of listening to a client’s needs
and that a monster called ego has no place
in successful design. These have been his
mantras ever since.

Arlene & Reuben Mark’s Home Greenwich CT

prominent bookstores and online. It offers
an enticing glimpse of the wonderful work
of Dinyar Wadia. The book’s foreword is
written by HRH, The Prince of Wales, and the
introduction is by Paul Gunther, President
of the Institute of Classical Architecture and
Classical America.

they want and what their house should
look like while others may have a general
sense based upon places they have visited
or photographs they have seen. The most
important thing is we make their dreams
come true by creating a home that is practical
and liveable, as well as beautiful.”

Wadia Associates is not just concentrating
on creating bespoke residences in the U.S.
Its elegant signature line is visible even in
distant Dalian, China, where the nouveau
riche connoisseur wants a sophisticated
living space which has roots in history and is
transitional and young at the same time. “No
one wants to live in their grandma’s house,
but they do want some of the romanticism
from the past,” Wadia indicates.

If there is a motif that characterises all his
projects, it is that his homes seem to integrate
themselves with the garden in an artful
embrace. This communion with nature is
intrinsic to his work and he believes that “a
house without a garden has no soul”. Rather
than indiscriminately tearing down trees, he
takes great pains to visit each site personally,
so that the windows are positioned to their
best advantage to capture a special view
of the garden and the house is bathed in
sunlight. In today’s world, it makes great eco
sense too.

“Designing a home is a process of discovery
and begins with a period of gathering
information, most importantly, about the
client and the site chosen to build on,” he
says. “Some clients may already know what

His team brings architectural intelligence to
each new project it undertakes. Like many
December, 2013

SynergyZ

15

Cover Story

Gool & Dinyar Wadia’s Kitchen

architects, Wadia is a self-taught man, both
in classical and traditional designs. His work
demonstrates a remarkable versatility and
adaptability with commitments ranging, for
example, from a Colonial Revival farmhouse
to a French Normandy chateau; a Georgian
style mansion to a quaint English country
potting shed; an informal American shinglestyle home to a Tudor manor house…
Wadia’s integrated approach to design can
be evidenced first hand in ‘Gitanjali’, his
5,500-square-feet modestly-sized home in
New Canaan, Connecticut, which in true
English country setting is surrounded by
lush meadows where two centuries-old trees
still thrive. When the couple purchased the
property in 1998, the house and the gardens
were in a neglected state. Today, the exterior
of the house has been painstakingly and
lovingly restored to its original look. Named
after a famous poem by Indian Nobel
laureate Rabindranath Tagore, ‘Gitanjali’ is
encircled by Palladio Award-winning greens,
including a brook garden, a woodland walk,
an English border, a herb garden and a peony
garden.
Gool Wadia, being a good cook, ensured
that the kitchen was designed for maximum
efficiency. The walls, as well as the nearby
breakfast area and sitting room, are painted
in the warm, golden colour of turmeric, a
favourite spice in Indian cooking. As Gool
and Dinyar both love bright colors, albeit
subtly used, the formal dining rooms’ walls
have a persimmon hue. The Chippendale
dining chairs and the table, like much of the
furniture in the distinctively stylish home,
have been purchased on trips to England
16

SynergyZ

December, 2013

from Lady Pamela Pigeon who was, until
her recent retirement, renowned for her
combination home/shop in an 18th-century
manor house in Herefordshire.
Despite his hectic schedule, he finds time
to support the Zoroastrian community and
ensures that good causes are funded by him.
He narrates an incident that took place when
the fund-raising committee for the new Dare-Mehr in New York approached him. “The
existing building, an old synagogue, built in
the 1950s and acquired by the community,
in New Jersey and New York, was in such
a dilapidated condition that it made me
cringe when I first saw it. I wondered why
someone in his right mind would purchase
a building which was in such a deplorable
condition. What was worse was the design of
the building. It was a 1960s’ modern done in
really poor taste. I wondered how any young
person would be inspired to go to religious
classes in a building that wasn’t uplifting in
the least bit.”
However, he agreed to contribute his time
to design the Dar-e-Mehr but persuaded the
panel to do away with the idea of having a
completely modern structure sans any roots
in history. Capturing the old world charm
and the Victorian era, he brilliantly designed
a transitional building whose style and
ornamentation draws semblance to the old
heritage edifices and Agiaries our ancestors
built centuries ago in India. The Dar-e-Mehr
to be built in Pomona, New York, will be just
30 minutes from Manhattan, a convenient
location for Zoroastrians from New York
City, New York State and New Jersey.
The Dar-e-Mehr will soon be one of the most

Gool Wadia

treasured landmarks in New York, acceptable
both to our community and the American
culture; a new a place of worship that is at
once uplifting and inspiring for the younger
generation, for the 18,000 Zoroastrians who
live in North America.
Little did Wadia know that the journey he
embarked on would prove to be so rewarding!
Still in his prime and with a brilliant future
ahead of him, the designer par excellence
hopes that the next generation of architects
will be inspired by the classical journey he
began years ago. After all, it has been truly
said that architecture is where engineering
stops and art begins.

By: Meher Bhesania

Best Wishes

On the auspicious occasion of the 10th World Zoroastrian Congress
(27th to 30th December, 2013, Mumbai)

The Organisers of
the 9th World Zoroastrian Congress (WZC),
in Dubai
convey warm felicitations and greetings to
all members of the Zoroastrian community worldwide and wish
Dr. Cyrus Poonawala, Chairman WZC, Mr. Nadir Godrej, Vice Chairman WZC,
the Bombay Parsi Punchayet and the Organizing Team of the
10th World Zoroastrian Congress every success.

Do women live up to the
responsibilities which
they have fought hard
to wrest, or do they end
up bleeding from the
surrounding shards of
the glass ceiling?

I

ndira Gandhi was called the ‘only man in her cabinet’. Of course we will hear the
sniggers about her daughter-in-law having emasculated every able male in the Congress party to
ensure that she is the only power centre despite holding no Cabinet post. But let me remind you that
Margaret Thatcher was also given that epithet. Was it accompanied by admiration, sneers or the sound of
wounds being sullenly licked? Depends on how objective you can bring yourself to be.
Do women live up to the responsibilities which they have fought hard to wrest, or do they end up bleeding
from the surrounding shards of the glass ceiling? It’s tough for their supporters to say yes to the first part of

18

SynergyZ

December, 2013

the question. Indira Gandhi was responsible
for the darkest period of Indian democracy,
imposing an Emergency which severely
curtailed all our fundamental rights even if it
made buses run on time. Sonia Gandhi never
gets the credit which is her due for salvaging
her demoralized Congress party as its nowlongest running president, and is instead
thrust into an unseemly and unwarranted
face-off with the Prime Minister.
Our women Chief Ministers have been
mercurial at best, despotic at worst.
Jayalalitha, chief minister of Tamil Nadu,
is known equally for her cut-out sized ego
and corruption. Mayawati’s rule over India’s
most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, is
remembered most for her being garlanded
with high-denomination currency notes
and queen-sized statutes of herself with her
trade-mark handbag. West Bengal’s Mamata
Banerjee has been disastrously whimsical to
anyone who contradicts her or even posts an
unfavourable cartoon on Facebook.
It’s easy to gloss over the fact that Jayalalitha
has outsmarted as wily a rival as the
Machiavellian Karunanidhi, not once but
three times. That Mayawati may have
studded herself in diamonds, but also did
much to establish Dalit pride and power;
this despite being saddled with the double
burden of gender and caste. It’s difficult to
find any redeeming argument for Mamata,
but she did successfully dismantle the
34-year-strong ‘Red Fortress’ and has
relentlessly championed the rights of
ordinary people however disastrous this
may be for the economic aspirations of
a state which was once home to India’s
commercial and political capital, but which
has floundered in the doldrums for half a
century.
The unbearably smug Sushma Swaraj is
nevertheless a five-term MP and now Leader
of the Opposition. She now has quite a
sisterhood in the terminally patriarchal
BJP. Women are thin on the ground in the
Communist parties despite their egalitarian
tradition, but Brinda Karat is an articulate
and visible presence. She cut her political
teeth on London’s Bond Street where she
worked at Air India and led an agitation
against the mandatory wearing of skirts

0 - Dec

13

r 20

Years

200

be

W

b

er

ng

Dece m

13
C Celebrat
i
ZC

em

The handful of women at the top of the
power pyramid so dominate the news cape,
even if usually for the wrong reasons, that
we fail to realize how pathetically half the
population is represented”
there; hers was the first sari on the CPM’s
politburo, and at no time in her feisty career
could anyone dare suggest that she drew
her power from her husband, Prakash, the
party’s general-secretary.
The good, the bad and those of the ugly
record, any which way you look at it, India’s
poweranis have come a long way from the
patronising remark of Pandit Nehru that
Tarakeshwari Sinha, the firebrand MP from
Orissa, ‘brought glamour to the Lok Sabha’.
True, most of them started out as wives,
daughters, bahus or at least ‘protégées with
benefits’. But the point is that not only did
they push right through the door that opened
for them, they built their own mansions and
became forces to reckon with. Which is why
the stagnant Women’s bill calling for 33%
reservation is so important - and arguably
so feared. The opposition to it springs
from the threat of clear and future danger
for the entrenched male bastion, which is
why the argument against it is expressed
with hysteria and cheap jibes. Remember,
how those calling for the reservation were
denounced as ‘short-haired’ non-women.
How unparliamentarily can you get?
The handful of women at the top of the
power pyramid so dominate the news
cape, even if usually for the wrong reasons,
that we fail to realize how pathetically half
the population is represented. In a study
published this International Women’s Day,
India ranked 105th , with 11% presence in
the Lok Sabha and 10.7% in the Rajya Sabha.
Not only did it share this disgraceful position
with Cote d’Ivoire, we were way behind our
neighbours, trailing 85 places after Nepal, 55
after Pakistan, and 40 behind Bangladesh.
The surprise here is that the top ranker was
Rwanda with a wowing 56%.
I don’t know what this does for that
brutalized country, but I do know firsthand

the huge difference that women made at
the grassroots when they were given 33%
representation in panchayats. Instead
of the usual male jockeying for power
and kickbacks, they propelled tangible
improvements in basic amenities, scaling
up the change that comes about in families
when the mother is empowered by education
and enabled by health and nutrition.
Women don’t have to be in politics; they
can and do exercise power outside its
privileged – and reviled -- circuit. These are
not just the business-suit babes or those
lip-synching the clichés of lib; if you know
how to look, you will find them even in the
most conventional households which the
materfamilias controls with a mixture of
assertion and guile. It may sometimes be
regressive, but it’s always a mistake to be
snooty about the avenues of empowerment.
The Bihari young woman who moves from
meekly embroidering cushion covers for her
dowry chest to embroidering them for the
market has made a greater leap forward than
the woman brandishing placards at a march.
According to classical feminist theory, ‘the
personal is political’. More power to all the
women who seize it, especially to those who
don’t know that they have.

India’s noted journalist Bachi Karkaria
December, 2013

SynergyZ

19

Success Story

A MAN THEY ALL
BANK ON
If you want to invest in integrity, honesty and dependability, one of the first names that come to mind is
that of Farhad Irani. The quintessential banker, he has established for himself an enviable reputation
in the financial sector.

N

ot many of his ilk can boast
to have a track record that threads
its way through seven countries,
currently making him the Executive Vice
President and Group Head of Retail Banking
at Mashreq, a trendsetting Bank in the
United Arab Emirates. Prior to this, he was
the CEO of PayPal Asia, (eBay, Inc.) based
in Singapore, elevating businesses in nine
Asian markets.
In the past thirty years he has brought to
bear a certain flair for his assignments and
spearheaded innovative ideas and concepts
that have made him synonymous with the
success of new ventures. He goes about his
task quietly, with great dignity, inspiring
those around him and being the perfect role
model for the new generation who still find
it difficult to keep up with his incredible
levels of energy.
Since he stepped into the first job those three
decades ago, Farhad has marked his career
with three constants. He pursues excellence
with unwavering commitment, never
accepting less than the best, either from
himself or from those he leads. He also firmly
believes in the work ethic and encourages
competence, new ideas and trial and error so
far as that learning experience is marked by
sincerity of purpose. This mindset has made
him a favorite with the hierarchy who feel
their ideas will get an airing. By that token
he is very clear about the fact that when all is
done, any mission must have a bottom line
and that must indicate its success or failureâ&#x20AC;Ś
you move on with the former and you come

Farhad Irani

20

SynergyZ

December, 2013

to terms with the latter and learn lessons
from it.
In his career he has held sensitive posts
including Global Head, Credit Card and
Personal Loans Group, Standard Chartered
Bank; Executive Vice President and Chief
Marketing Officer, CitiFinancial Japan,
CitiGroup; Country Head of Consumer
Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Indonesia
and Head Bankcard Division India, Standard
Chartered Bank.
A man of the world he has served with
distinction across the globe and has brought
to his office a ‘second wind’, frequently
re-energizing the staff to aspire to greater
things and managing to do just that. Armed
with an unusual foresight and a sharp
sense of future trends his strengths lie in
developing business strategies, creating
original business models, capturing new
markets and making the right moves at the
right time, this uncanny ability earning him
the respect and admiration of his peers.
Farhad is now an authority with hands on
management experience in areas of retail,
consumer banking and credit cards.
His personal philosophy is simple. Hard
work brings results. You seize the day and
success will follow. The trick lies in being
able to recognize Opportunity when it
knocks on the door and welcome it rather
than slam the door in its face because unless
you are open to change you cannot make
anything work for long. In his current role,
he has already had a positive impact on the
fortunes of Mashreq Bank with a series of
bold initiatives. In recognition of the bank’s
outstanding performance, Mashreq Bank
earned the ‘Best Retail Banker Award’ in the
Middle Eastern Region, in June 2012.
Although he is a modest and quiet person
who lets his work speak for him, he does
admire those who have pioneered their way
to new frontiers and has the confidence
to learn even today from the best. As a
high achiever, he recounts meeting with

0 - Dec

13

r 20

Years

200

be

W

b

er

ng

Dece m

13
C Celebrat
i
ZC

em

While every interaction with every human being
leaves one a little richer, I feel lucky to have
benefited from the positive rub off from such
great minds. This is what drives me and keeps
me motivated”
the likes of Bill Gates, Hank Greenberg,
Rupert Murdoch, Jeff Bezoz, Steve Jobs,
Rana Talwar and says, “What impresses me
the most is their passion, their vision and
the ability to communicate and influence
others. While every interaction with every
human being leaves one a little richer, I feel
lucky to have benefited from the positive
rub off from such great minds. This is what
drives me and keeps me motivated. There is
always something more to do, you never rest
on your laurels.”
If the new generation looks up to him it is
with good reason. The advice he gives to
them is salutary: “Life is a marathon and
not a sprint and success comes from 10 %
inspiration and 90 % perspiration. To be an
expert you just have to work the questions
harder as someone out there can do your
job better than you. Leverage on the assets
at hand and discard the handicaps. Move
forward each day and before long you will
have travelled great distances.”
He practices what he preaches. Endowed
with an indefatigable stamina, a desire to
make the impossible possible and enthused
by challenge, Farhad shares is vision of what
an individual can achieve regardless of how
humble his beginnings.
“Life should be led in a manner that brings
out the best potential in each and every
person. Show them that they can find it in
themselves to do their best, so that when
they look back in time they can really say that
they built something for the next generation
“and” they did not know it then but that was
the best time in their lives,” he says.

In a life punctuated with success, Farhad
Irani has won many awards for the
organizations he has been associated with
and also won accolades for himself. A
distinguished speaker he has been awarded
by the banking fraternity globally and won
the title of “The Global Best” at the CitiGroup
Global Consumer Finance Conference in
Arizona in February 2005 as well as the
Global Marketing Superstar, in 1995 from
Advertising Age Magazine, Hong Kong.
If he is an inspiration at work, he is no less
a towering personality at home where he
derives his ‘inspiration’ from his wife, Kate,
who is his rock, his friend and sounding
board and for whose intellect and common
sense he has marked respect. “She is the love
of my life, and is perhaps the stronger and
more capable one,” he says, “She keeps me
grounded.”
Despite all his triumphs his personal
greatness can be found in his words which
he attributes to his team, “It is they who have
brought recognition to me every few years.”
A high flyer, Farhad Irani thinks that the
best days are still ahead of him and with
characteristic verve adds: “I’ve always
thought that if you rest, you’ll rust. Life is an
unending and ever-evolving experience!”
For Farhad, the road ahead is a ribbon of
more opportunity and he travels it with both
hands on the wheel.

By: Bikram Vohra

December, 2013

SynergyZ

21

Padma Awards

Padma Awards
On behalf of SynergyZ and the community we offer our wholehearted congratulations to the noted Industrialist, Adi Burjor Godrej
on his being awarded the Padma Bhushan, one of India’s highest civilian awards in 2013. As Chairman of the four generation
Godrej Group he has ensured the conglomerate stands synonymous with affordable and quality consumerism.
By the same token we congratulate Dr. Mahrukh Tarapor for being given the Padma Shri for her distinguished career in the arts.
She is now a widely recognized consultant for art museums globally and specialises in international initiatives and partnerships.
We admire these two eminent members of our community who have striven, sought and never yielded and brought great honour
to all of us.

Congratulations

Noted Industrialist,
Adi Burjor Godrej
won the Padma
Bhushan, one
of the country’s
highest civilian
awards in 2013.”

Adi Burjor Godrej receiving the Padma Bhushan Award from
H.E. Mr. Pranab Kumar Mukherjee, the President of India.
Profile:
ADI GODREJ
Noted Industrialist, Adi Burjor Godrej won the Padma Bhushan, one of the country’s highest
civilian awards in 2013.
Born in 1942, Adi Godrej received his Undergraduate and Master’s Degree in Management
from the MIT Sloan School of Management. He is the Chairman of the Godrej Group. He
was the Chairman and President of The Central Organisation for Oil Industry and Trade,
the Indo-American Society and the Governing Council of the Narsee Monjee Institute of
Management Studies and former member of the Dean’s Advisory Council of the MIT Sloan
School of Management and the Wharton Asian Executive Board. He is a member of Tau
Beta Pi’ (The Engineering Honour Society); Chairman of the Board of the Indian School of
Business; and President Designate, Confederation of Indian Industry.
He has received several awards, including the Rajiv Gandhi Award, 2002; the Entrepreneur
of the Year for the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards, 2010; Best Businessman of the Year
for the GQ Men of the Year Awards, 2010; Chemexcil’s Lifetime Achievement Award, 2010;
AIMA-JRD Tata Corporate Leadership Award, 2010; and BMA-Management Man of the Year
Award 2010-2011.
Established in 1897, the Godrej Group has seen four generations of a close-knit business
family built conglomerate that stands for consumerism with concern for the common man by
giving him quality without the expense. The company has grown; diversified, raised its profile
yet never forgotten the aspirations of an average Indian and the single fact which inspired its
beginnings. About 500 million Indians use one or the other of Godrej products each day, and
this is more than the number of consumers any other Indian group has.

22

SynergyZ

December, 2013

0 - Dec

13

r 20

Years

200

be

W

b

er

ng

Dece m

13
C Celebrat
i
ZC

em

Synergyz Congratulates Dr. Mahruk Tarapor
on winning the Padma Shri

Dr. Tarapor
currently serves on
the International
Advisory Board of
the Sakip Sabançi
Museum, Istanbul;
and on the New
York Board of
the American
Associates of
the St. Catherine
Foundation (Sinai,
Egypt) as well
as L’Association
Suisse des Amis
de la Fondation
Sainte-Catherine
in Geneva. She is
also a Trustee of
the Indira Gandhi
Memorial Trust.

Profile:
Dr. MAHRUKH TARAPOR
Dr. Mahrukh Tarapor has had a long and distinguished career in the arts.
A widely recognized consultant for art museums globally, and specializing in international
initiatives and partnerships, Dr. Tarapor has been a leading figure for more than three
decades in collaborations between cultural institutions, governments and museums. She
currently serves as an advisor to the Museo del Prado, Madrid; the British Museum, and
Tate in London; Art Exhibitions Australia in Sydney; and is Senior Advisor for International
Initiatives at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Born in India, Dr. Tarapor received her Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Xavier’s College,
Mumbai in 1967, and subsequently her Ph.D from Harvard University.
Dr. Tarapor began her career with a five-year post as Head of Gallery Education at The Asia
Society in New York. This was followed by more than twenty-five years at The Metropolitan
Museum of Art where, as Associate Director for Exhibitions, she defined a leading role for the
Metropolitan in the international exchange of scholarship and works of art. In 2005 she was
also appointed the Metropolitan’s first Director for International Affairs (Geneva, Switzerland)
and was responsible for expanding and promoting the museum’s cultural relationships with
museums and governments in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. Outside of the
United States and Europe, she has also worked extensively in and with countries such as
Bulgaria, Georgia, Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Russia, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and
the United Arab Emirates.
Dr. Tarapor currently serves on the International Advisory Board of the Sakip Sabançi
Museum, Istanbul; and on the New York Board of the American Associates of the St.
Catherine Foundation (Sinai, Egypt) as well as L’Association Suisse des Amis de la Fondation
Sainte-Catherine in Geneva. She is also a Trustee of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.
Dr. Tarapor has received numerous awards for her international initiatives. These include
the decoration of Lazo de Dama de la Orden de Isabel la Católica from the Kingdom of Spain
(1992); the decoration of the Great Patron Martyr of Sinai, St. Catherine, from the Imperial
Monastery of Holy Mount Sinai, Egypt (1997); Award for Intellectual merit from the Kingdom
of Morocco (1999); the Gran Encomienda de Isabel la Católica from the Kingdom of Spain
(2001); and a Chevalier of the French Order of Arts and Letters (2007).

Failure is an option, Fear is not
An Entrepreneurial Perspective
“A calm sea never produces a skillful mariner. Navigating on shallow water near the shore without
exploring the sea is a sin. Not taking a risk in our life is a sin in my opinion” says Dr. Durgadoss, an
entrepreneur, inspirational speaker and a writer.

F

ondly called as DD by his associates, Dr. Durgadoss captured the hearts and
minds of an august gathering comprising Businessmen and Professionals at
the Seminar on SME – ‘Opportunities and Challenges’, which was arranged by
the Indian Businessmen and Professional Council at the Ritz Carlton, early this year
in Dubai.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Durgadoss said, “I salute you all – the risk takers who
focus on ‘value addition’ rather than ‘validation’. As value creators, I consider you as
the creamy layer of the society. SME business is the backbone of any economy.”
Interlacing his speech with real life experiences as an entrepreneur, he touched upon
the three valuable points:
(1) The fragile economic world and the competitive landscape
(2) The willingness to embrace failures
(3) His personal experience as an entrepreneur

26

SynergyZ

December, 2013

1. THE FRAGILE ECONOMIC
WORLD TODAY
Concerned about the declining GDPs and
growing unemployment, Dr. Durgodass told
the following story.
“In 2008, in a beach town in the Caribbean
islands, one day a rich tourist walked into a
hotel. The whole town was deserted. These
were bad times. Everyone was in debt. The
guest pays 100 US$ to the hotel manager. He
told the manager that he will go up and see
the room and come back. The hotel manager
uses this 100 USD to pay the past debt to the
butcher. The butcher in turn pays his debt to
the sheep grower. He in turn pays back his
debt to the fuel supplier. The fuel supplier in
turn pays back the 100 USD to the same hotel
to settle his old debt.
Mean while the tourist comes back. He did
not like the room. He took back the 100 USD
not and walked out.
No one earned anything. But everyone was
out of debt. Everyone’s credit limit revived.
The end result of all these fancy method
is the great recession. A rocking horse
keeps moving but does not progress. Every
economy thought that it was growing but
in reality there was only ‘motion’ and not
‘progresses’.
The epicenter of all these was in United
States and tremor was felt all around –
economic chaos all around.
We went through series of changes in
economic themes –
Growth Growth
Growth first, Austerity next
Austerity First, Growth Next
Austerity Austerity
Growth with Austerity

Growth & Austerity are oxymorons. Today
we have two contrasting forces pulling us
in different directions - Debt contraction
compulsions; refusal to accept sacrifices on
the part of people. Developed nations are
not able to force sacrifice on people, hence
they soft peddle the debt contraction option.
They take new debt and repay old debt. The
nations are rolling over their finances. They
are just elongating the detonating wires and
delay the blast than diffuse the blast.”
Thereafter he cited another interesting
episode. “The other day an SME sector
businessman told me that his financiers
were telling him that he was over leveraged.
While the Debt to GDP leverage ratio of
nations is near 100%, he complained that
his financiers advised him to deleverage –
this was a strange paradox! We live in the
fragile economic world today. We are living
in troubled times. But we cannot complain.
The role of entrepreneurship is pronounced
more in these troubled times. We need more
entrepreneurs, more risk takers – But we
should not be afraid of failures.”
He then moved on to the second point.

2. EMBRACE FAILURES
“You might have heard of the stories
of achievers from motivational Gurus.
Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Alva Edison,
Sir C.V.Raman – all of them achieved after
fighting innumerable battles. I will not
address these again as you might be already
familiar, but will narrate the story of an SME
sector businessman in USA.
A business executive was in deep debt
and could see no way out. He sat in a park
wondering what to do. Suddenly an old man
appeared, listened to him and said ‘I can help
you. Take this money and meet me exactly

0 - Dec

13

r 20

Years

200

be

W

b

er

ng

Dece m

13
C Celebrat
i
ZC

em

after one year at this same place and repay
the amount’. He gave a cheque 5 million USD
signed by John D. Rock Feller, the richest oil
magnet of that time. The executive instead
of using the cheque kept it in his safe and
started with renewed optimism. At the back
of the mind the 5 million USD was giving
comfort to him. Slowly he came out if his
debt, while the cheque was lying in his safe.
Exactly one year later he went back to the
park. The old man appeared. Just before
handing over his cheque, a nurse came
running, she said, “good I caught him. I hope
he is not bothering you. He claims that he is
John D. Rock Feller. He is actually a patient
of our hospital.” The executive was stunned.
He realized it was not the real but imaginary
money that gave him the courage, that
courage made all the difference. Humility
in success and courage in failure is what we
have to follow. Failure is an option, but fear
is not!”
He then moved on to the third point:

3. PREACHER OR
PRACTITIONER
It is always easy to preach than practice.
Ronald Regan once said – “When your
neighbour loses the job you call it a normal
business cycle, but when you lose your job
you call it a great depression”. Similarly a
question may arise in your mind whether
I have ever faced a failure – Am I talking
here as a preacher or a practitioner of
entrepreneurship. The question is valid.

HERE IS MY STORY
“Life was a smooth ride for me, nice things
were happening at the right time. During

We live in the fragile economic world today. We are living
in troubled times. But we cannot complain. The role of
entrepreneurship is pronounced more in these troubled
times. We need more entrepreneurs, more risk takers –
But we should not be afraid of failures.”
December, 2013

SynergyZ

27

Entrepreneurship

this easy phase, I was also not an exception
that hits everyone, yes; I am talking
about the entrepreneurial bug. Your life is
successful; you have spent a decent time on
other’s business expansion. Why not we do
ourselves? This bug also hit me. Success is
lousy teacher; it seduces the smart people
to think that they can never go wrong. If
you are successful in one area, you tend
to think you will be successful in all areas.
The tail wind was taking me to the dizzy
heights with no exposure to failures. Ego
is an anesthetic that deadens the pain of
stupidity. Repository of ego base started
setting into my system slowly. I was feeling
that the bottom is overcrowded; therefore
I should reach the top quickly. Then came
the sudden wind that twisted the whole
picture, a wave of macroeconomic changes,
led me to face the jaws of my first defeat on
my first entrepreneurial move. The people
who betted on me departed, the friends who
invested with me turned into vociferous foes,
the illustrious personalities on my board
resigned from the board immediately at the
first sight of the problems in my business
model. Suddenly, I saw chaos around me.
I started getting so many free advices. No
one had time to go into the process of why the failure, but everyone looked at the
outcome and not the process. I realized the
world rewards the end and not the means.
The world recognizes the performance and
not the passion. Getting back to the MNC
corporate main stream was a problem, as
they do not take the executives who take
entrepreneurship, seriously. The question
that crossed my mind was – How do we
handle failures, miseries and manage success
or happiness? Success is your friend, failure
is your teacher, I thought. Excess happiness
syndrome and the lack of exposure to failure
daunted me, tested me.
I had two options – Brood over, get frustrated
and perish or accept the realities, identify my
USP and understand to recreate myself.
I opted for the second one. I could not revive
the unit or invest in that unit I could not get
back to my plum job in an MNC – hence I
took up a reasonable position in a relatively

28

SynergyZ

December, 2013

Every pain has a gain, you see. Have you
every failed in your life? If not, I invite you to
taste the thrills of the failure. I guarantee you;
you will become a balanced personality with
abundant wisdom”
small corporate belonging to a Board of
Director of my failed company.

frames of achievement. Continue to build
entrepreneurial sprits into the societal DNA.

The Board of Director, who took a risk on me
at this bad phase is a UAE based Businessman
to whom I will always be grateful. In Ten
years, I could do my doctorate, establish
our corporate brand strongly in the market
and stand in front of you with the wisdom
gained, in the form of the book – ‘A Saint in
the Boardroom’. Every pain has a gain, you
see. Have you every failed in your life? If not,
I invite you to taste the thrills of the failure.
I guarantee you; you will become a balanced
personality with abundant wisdom. Success
tells you what you are; Failure tells you who
you are. Failure is an option, while fear in not.
Folks, it does not matter what happens to
you in life, but what you do when something
happens is the key.”

Finally, I invite you to taste the thrills of
failure. I guarantee you that eventually you
will win!”

Having staked his claim of being a
Practitioner of entrepreneurship, he
concluded as follow:

CONCLUDING REMARKS
“We can control a process or strategy but
cannot control the outcome. Failures may
erupt; we need to fight them out. The
champions are not made in the gym but are
made in the inner walls of the chambers of
your soul. You are fighting the greatest wars
in the silent chambers of your soul. Fight it
out ….
Life may crown you or crucify you on a cross…
Chase your passion but learn to face the
outcome of whatever nature. Focus on the
roots and not on fruits. Failure will teach you
great lessons. Don’t shy away from failures
in your entrepreneurial role. Never give up
– stay hungry, stay positive, grow your risk
appetite. Convert your inner sparks into

Good Luck!!

About:
Dr R. Durgadoss
(His associates call him
Dr.DD) is an entrepreneur,
inspirational speaker
and a writer. Currently
he is based in Dubai as
a Group Director of a
large Corporate. He has
co-authored a book on
’Corporate Governance’
and a Business fiction ‘A
Saint in the Boardroom’.
An upcoming fiction: ‘The
Shackles of the warrior’
spreads across a series of
nine books depicting the
heroism of the protagonist
in his nine avatars.

‘Enterprise Dubai’ offers an unparalleled platform for exploring business, leisure
and pleasure opportunities that Dubai has to offer. The event is open to Zoroastrian
Businessmen, Professionals, Youth and families worldwide.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
Grand opening of the event by Royalty ë Event addressed by Heads of Government,
Ministers and Industry Leaders ë Identify new trade / investment partners and take

(US$ 130) (Two days)
AED 650/- (US$ 180) (Three days)

away business leads ë Network with policy makers/key government officials and

hange is one of the most widely discussed topics covered
in the business world today. Aside from all the obvious reasons we have
come across in answering the question ‘Why should I change?’ Eric
Hoffman states it best:
“In times of change, the learners will inherit the Earth, while the knower’s will find
themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”
There was a time when typewriters were getting replaced by computers. At that
point in time the most effective typist who did not see the value and fought the
change soon were out of work. The same principle rippled to companies that did
not see the value in adopting new technology, they too in time became obsolete.
In the course of my work I often spend hours upon hours doing research on various
topics for discussion. My focus is usually on analyzing those organizations and
persons that have made an impact in the world. I figure it’s a good place to start
when trying to find the secrets to success and leadership. In one such research
endeavor, I came quite unexpectedly upon a Japanese term and definition which
struck a chord in me. The term is “kaizen”. Literally Kaizen means: change (kai)
to become good (zen), but it is largely recognized as a life philosophy for continual
improvement.
In order to see further into your business you will need to stand taller. In order
to stand taller you need to grow, you can only grow if you are willing to change.
Change for most is often considered an obstacle; change for the successful
is considered a milestone towards where they want to end up.
The connection for me was easy, as one of my challenges in leadership training is
to address the issue of change as an obstacle personally and professionally. Change
is one of the things that we as social creatures seem conditioned to repel at every
instance. It is often met with skepticism, anger and often a lack of enthusiasm.
Even with these responses, change refuses to go away; however it is something
that every business and leader must go through to remain competitive.

30

SynergyZ

December, 2013

The problem is not change itself, but the
perception that a change in a normal routine
will cause you untold and unnecessary
harm, fear of the unknown – the greatest
fear of the mind. It will affect the way you
perform your job and jeopardize the security
of knowing the specific action related to
that job. As a leader, you must be able to
see beyond this perception to the benefits of
the intended action, and more importantly
be able to spread that message upon people.
Only through change will you begin to set in
motion the successes of your life.

4. Who will be involved in helping with the
implementation?

The reality of our situation is that change is a
necessary element of business. An element
that we continually master and should not
be afraid of. In order for us to effectively
implement change into our organization and
lives we need to employ a proven system of
success.

1. How will this update affect:

Next time you encounter change in your
life, whether personally or professionally,
consider the following ‘Standard Operating
Procedure’ that will not only increase
the chance of success but make change
a smoother process along the way for all
parties involved.

STEP 1: AWARENESS

1. The leader must help with the process
in making all employees become aware
and more so accept the need for change.
2. A leader that cannot see the value in
change will be hard pressed to lead his/
her organization through future growth.
3. Breakdown the fears that surround the
change needed.

5. How much time will it take?

STEP 2: DESIRED OUTCOME
1. What is the desired outcome from this
change?

0 - Dec

13

r 20

Years

200

be

W

b

er

ng

Dece m

13
C Celebrat
i
ZC

em

The ripple effect of not changing is greater
then the temporary pain and inconvenience
of the change it self.
The conclusion…. “get over it!”. Change is
something that you have mastered all of
your life. Don’t let it be an obstacle for you to
realize your goals.

2. What would all parties involved consider
the completion of this change a success?

STEP 3: IMPLICATION
a. Me as a leader?
b. My employees?
c. My clients?
2. What will be the long-term implications
if we do not accept the necessary change?

STEP 4: ACTION PLAN

1. Specifically what are people expected to
do during this change?
2. This should be charted out in detail from
start to finish.

STEP 5: REPETITION
= REFINEMENT

1. Incorporate the change into your daily
routine.
2. Keep in mind that any new
implementation will take time to refine.
3. The ability to repeat a calculated action
plan will refine what you do, creating a
more efficient process along the way.

About:
Fred is an International
Speaker, with a
background in
Psychotherapy. His focus
is around Emotional
Engagement in personal
and professional
relationships. Fred
has been dubbed by
the media as a Human
Behavior Expert.

The reality of our situation is that change is a
necessary element of business. An element
that we continually master and should not be
afraid of.”

December, 2013

SynergyZ

31

Human Resources

Managing Age Differences
in the Workplace

D

iversity is a key feature
of today’s workforce
and requires ongoing awareness
and alignment on the part of managers
and leaders. An important aspect of
diversity management involves generational
differences. Helping different age groups
to perform well together and addressing
employee engagement among these
groups can be a challenge but you certainly
don’t want to miss out on the different
perspectives and gains that these different
age groups can bring to the table. How aware
are you, of these differences in work ethics
and perspectives among your employees?
Do you know how your own generational
worldview may be affecting your leadership/
32

SynergyZ

December, 2013

management abilities? Have you thought
about how much synergy could occur among
your employees if they, too, understood and
appreciated these differences?
Different generations of workers have very
different expectations and values in terms
of autonomy, company commitment, work
ethics and work-life balance. Life experience
helps shape these values.
Workers born before 1946 value long-term
employment and job security. Their life
experiences have often created great respect
for authority and economic certainty among
them, along with company loyalty and
strong self-discipline.

Generation Y, “Nexters”
or “Millenials,”born
since 1980 in the
midst of instant
communication and
information, are
perhaps the least
bound by company
loyalty”

Baby Boomers, those born between 1946
and 1960, have usually experienced more
opportunities than those that came before
them and are also less traditional. They are
driven to succeed, progress in their own
careers and are often workaholics.
Employees born between 1961 and 1979
belong to Generation X. With even more
educational and international opportunities,
this generation is entrepreneurial and
individualistic. They tend to gravitate
towards positions that allow them flexibility
and self-expression, and are less respectful
of authority, work traditions or corporate
loyalty.
Generation Y, “Nexters” or “Millenials,”
born since 1980 in the midst of instant
communication and information, are
perhaps the least bound by company loyalty.
These workers are motivated by work that
challenges them intrinsically and provides
external rewards. They are as mobile and
fluid as the age in which they’ve been born.
It’s important for leaders to recognize
that each generation brings unique and
valuable contributions to the table in terms
of creativity, innovation and perspectives.
But be aware that every individual doesn’t
fit a generation generalization. What may
be most important for managers to realize
is that their own generation and values can
affect how they view and manage others.
Emotional and cultural intelligence is
required to effectively stylize your techniques
to best recognize what each employee
brings to the table and how best to motivate
them. It’s value differences, not simply age
differences, that affect the workplace. As
an Elite Executive Coach, I can work with
leaders and employees to assess generational
differences and conflicts, increase emotional
intelligence and awareness, and help you to
create a highly collaborative and productive
workforce.
On the website “The Grindstone,”
contributor Meredith Lepore offers more
insight into generational differences in the
workplace. Lepore points out that Baby
Boomers believe in putting in long hours

0 - Dec

13

r 20

Years

200

be

W

b

er

ng

Dece m

13
C Celebrat
i
ZC

em

Helping different age groups to perform well
together and addressing employee engagement
among these groups can be a challenge but you
certainly don’t want to miss out on the different
perspectives and gains that these different age
groups can bring to the table”
and are competitive; Generation Xers value
autonomy and independence; Millennials
or Generation Y employees are keyed into
collaborative work and communication.
Lepore spoke to organizational expert Jessie
Newburn who added that Boomers respond
to authentic mission statements and the
big picture; GenXers are result-oriented in
terms of the present; and Millennials value
innovative and new solutions. Do you know
how to create engagement in all of your
workers?
How do you best manage diverse generations
of employees? Awareness of your own values
and that of others is important. So, too, is
helping workers to appreciate and recognize
the contributions of different generations. I
suggest individualizing your management
practices and avoiding blanket policies,
offering flexibility in terms of work-life
balance, and promoting connection and
sharing between different generations of
workers.
To individualize management policies
concerning values, consider offering options
when it comes to work-life balance. Some
employees may want educational support,
others a flexible work schedule. What
kinds of leave do you offer your employees
surrounding health and family matters?
Outside training and education? Are there
different ways for employees to put in hours?
How do you balance hours put in versus
results? Short-term versus long-term? Do
you offer a variety of training methods for
employees to choose from? Some workers
may value a hands-on approach, others
a classroom experience and still others,
independent online tutorials.

Help your employees to connect, no matter
their differences, so that they can learn
from each other. Build social events into
your workplace, encourage information
and
insight-sharing,
and
construct
generationally-diverse project teams. This
can help employees better understand each
other. Consider diversity training programs
to build cohesiveness among your workers.

About:
Oksana Tashakova is an
Elite Executive Coach, Change,
Organizational and Talent
Development Expert.
For more details visit her website:
www.academiaofhumanpotential.com
to read articles on diversity and
management, schedule an assessment
of your workforce’s understanding or
compatibility issues, or of your own
emotional intelligence capabilities. You
can sign up for an in-house training,
online offerings, one-on-one coaching,
a workshop or retreat.

December, 2013

SynergyZ

33

FEDERATION OF ZOROASTRIAN ASSOCIATIONS
OF NORTH AMERICA

Best Wishes to
World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce
for a productive and successful
Global Annual General Meeting!
We salute WZCC in uniting Zarathushti
entrepreneurs worldwide

WWW.FEZANA.ORG • SERVING THE NORTH AMERICAN ZARATHUSHTI COMMUNITY FOR OVER 25 YEARS

Tribute

Ardeshir Cowasjee
FAREWELL
TO A MAN
OF LETTERS

The ripple effect of his loss is incalculable. A doyen of the famous Cowasjee Group, Ardeshir Cowasjee,
the entrepreneur, writer and a public figure, who served his country as a philanthropist and held high
offices in the Government of Pakistan left an indelible mark in his lifetime. His family, friends and a
grateful nation bade him farewell with deep sadness, when he passed away on 24th November, 2012.

B

orn in Karachi, Ardeshir Cowasjee came from a well
known family of merchant shipbuilders. His father was Rustom Faqir Cowasjee
and mother was Mucca Rustomjee. He completed his schooling at Bai Virbaijee
Soparivala (BVS) Parsi School and later pursued further education at DJ Science College,
Karachi. Even as a child he had an insatiable curiosity and always wanted to achieve
things and set goals for himself. There was a sense of building; of establishing watersheds
and much of his life he did just that.
Ardeshir Cowasjee joined his family business, Cowasjee and Sons and East and
West Steamship Company, in 1944. In the 1960s, he was involved in building of MV
Ohrmazd in Scotland. He spent significant years building the ship and considered this,
the greatest success story of his life. It epitomised his priorities and the course he had
charted for himself.The family-owned shipping firm generated wealth and contributed
to the economy of the country. It was nationalised by the Government in mid seventies.

36

SynergyZ

December, 2013

Even as a child he
had an insatiable
curiosity and always
wanted to achieve
things and set goals
for himselfâ&#x20AC;?

In 1977, Ardeshir Cowasjee was appointed as
an Adviser to the then President of Pakistan
on Ports and Shipping subsequent to holding
the post as the Chairman of Port Qasim
Authority in 1975, and as the Managing
Director of Pakistan Tourism Development
Corporation in 1973. His many- faceted
personality and his desire to excel and deliver
on the promise made him indispensable to
the nation’s leadership and they valued his
contribution.
But the steel and iron that went into
designnig an ocean going ship was also
indicative of another quality in him. He
was creative, imaginative and had a flair for
writing concisely.

also reading biographies and History. He was
particularly interested in the era of the two
World Wars.

0 - Dec

13

r 20

Years

200

be

W

b

er

ng

Dece m

13
C Celebrat
i
ZC

em

Known for his
bohemian ways, a
trait he was, in fact,
proud of, was that
he was always ready
for a debate, on any
topic, with anyone”

However, his most prized memories were of
his wife, Nancy Dinshaw whom he lost after
40 years of close companionship in 1992.
But he took pride in the fact that Ava, his
daughter, took charge of one of the family
business concerns and his son, Rustom,
turned out to be a successful architect in
Washington DC. He once said, “I could never
have wished for a better son.”

Very few people possess true artistic ability
and Ardeshir Cowasjee was clearly one
of them. In 1989, he became a freelance
columnist for Dawn, the leading newspaper
in Pakistan. His columns won him a great fan
following and he documented the country’s
history for generations to come.
But he also used his pen to take up good
causes and one of these was the need to
upgrade the quality of construction in the
country and bring into the equation a code
of ethics.
The environment and violation of building
codes by developers were subjects close to his
heart, particularly in the context of Karachi.
He had relentlessly tackled these issues and
his persistence had paid off most of the time.
One of his favourite people and a man he
admired to the hilt and whom he wrote
extensively on was Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
His motto in life was, “Don’t worry about
what others say or are likely to say about
you and your actions.” His advice to the
young Zoroastrians of Pakistan was: “Be lawabiding and survive.”
From colorful robes to fine-tailored suits,
Cowasjee’s sense of style often gave him an
air of aristocracy. Known for his bohemian
ways, a trait he was, in fact, proud of, was
that he was always ready for a debate, on
any topic, with anyone. And he always did
his homework and knew his facts so it was
always fascinating to hear him, as much as it
was to read him.
A connoisseur of the finer things of life,
Ardeshir Cowasjee enjoyed collecting art, as

Having seen and experienced many
vicissitudes in his life, his motto was “Have
the courage of your convictions.” It is this
courage of his convictions that made him
write about life around him and earn him the
title of a man of letters.
As Ardeshir Cowasjee’s heath started
failing, on December 25, 2011, at the age of
85 he brought his 22-old-year era of weekly
columns for Dawn to a halt. The pen was
capped for the last time, the inkpot closed
but even in the last years of his life he was
ready with studied opinion.
In keeping with the Zoroastrian spirit of
philanthropy, he was the Chairman of the
Cowasjee Foundation, a family trust fund,
now run by members of the family. The
Foundation grants educational funds to poor
and deserving families and scholarships to

students who have obtained admission in
universities abroad. Countless young people
have benefited from this Foundation.
In another noble gesture, the Cowasjee
School of Midwifery, is well equipped
and functions in the grounds of the Lady
Dufferin Hospital. Despite all this, Ardeshir
Cowasjee liked to downplay his magnanimity
to the community and society, and said with
humility, “My contribution is doing and
giving whatever has come naturally to me.”
In the same vein he added, “One does not
have to have power to be great, but simply to
do what is right.” And he did a lot of it.
By: Meher Bhesania
December, 2013

SynergyZ

37

Women Achievers

Hall of Femme
The ascent of a woman has begun. But there are still many miles to go. The trailblazers who
raised the bar and broke through the glass ceiling are the ones to emulate. For their courage,
their determination and their abilities in seizing the day and making the best of it.
In this second part of the series we share the aspirations and successes of four women who have
made their mark in what was once a man’s world and done it with grace and graciousness. Their
stories are an inspiration to the next generation.

4. New Programs/frontiers
conquered by you in 2012:
Began enjoying serious advocacy
on important issues.
5. What next?

38

More of the same and with even
more passion!

SynergyZ

July 2013

Zia Mody passed her Law from the University of Cambridge, UK in
1978. She was enrolled with the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa in
1978 and did her LLM from Harvard Law School. Zia was admitted as a
member of the New York State Bar by examination in 1980. She started
her practice with Baker & McKenzie, New York before returning to India
to start her own practice which is today AZB & Partners, Advocates &
Solicitors. Her expertise includes corporate mergers and acquisitions,
securities law, private equity and project finance, BPO related work,
litigation and dispute resolution.
Zia is a non-executive director of the HSBC, Hong Kong. She is a Vice
President and member of the London Court of Arbitration (LCIA),
and a member of several CII Committees. Zia has received numerous
awards and acclaim in various practice areas and from various
publications including being listed by Forbes Asia as one of ‘Asia’s 50
Power Businesswomen’ (2012). She has also been selected as one of
the 25 Most Powerful Women in Indian Business by Business Today (a
leading Indian business publication) in 2004 through 2012.

The acquisition of and the ability
to use life-enhancing values for the
common good.

4. New Programs/frontiers
conquered by you in 2012:
Consolidation of the Godrej
Archives, comprising 115 years of
family and corporate treasures.
5. What next:
• Curating, along with Firoza
Punthakey Mistry, an exhibition
on the rich and varied trade links
between India and China and
the people in the 18th and 19th
centuries, to be held at the National
Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai,
from December, 2013 to January,
2014, which will coincide with the
10th World Zoroastrian Congress.
• Restoration of the Alpaiwalla
Museum in Mumbai.
• Co-curating “The Everlasting
Flame: Zoroastrianism in history
and imagination” an exhibition –
to be held at the Brunei Gallery,
School of Oriental and African
Studies (SOAS), University
of London, from October to
December, 2013.

Knowledge has always been central to Pheroza’s
life and she has absorbed it in the most eclectic
manner, ensuring a wide ranging foundation for
her career.
Academically, Pheroza completed a Bachelor’s
degree in Arts and a Bachelor’s degree in
Education. Subsequently, she earned a Master’s
in English and French and also received a
Diploma in Aesthetics. More recently she
completed her Masters in Ancient Indian
Culture.
This diverse learning process has now been
translated into a very successful venture in the
arts and her recognition as a cultural authority.
In 1971, she made an entrée into the then
evolving Indian Art market by establishing
Cymroza Art Gallery. Now synonymous with
high end art and also a place to encourage fresh
talent Cymroza is the capstone of her many
achievements in the creative field.
In 1986, she completed a detailed study of
prints and drawings of British Landscape Art
and Portraiture in India, the outcome of which
was the publication of works co-written/coedited. These include, “Scenic Splendours:
India through the Printed Image”; “A Pageant of
Prints”; “Under the Indian Sun” and “Bombay to
Mumbai – Changing Perspectives”. Indian Life
and Landscape by Western Artists – a Victoria &
Albert Museum (V & A) and Chhatrapati Shivaji
Maharaj Vastu Shangralaya (CSMVS) touring
exhibition, which she co-curated. The initiative
also included an accompanying publication, coauthored by her. Her ongoing interests in the
history and sociology of the Parsee community
saw its culmination in the publication of the
definitive work, “A Zoroastrian Tapestry: Art,
Religion & Culture”, co-edited with Firoza P.
Mistree.

She is closely connected with like-minded
entities involved in the promotion of Indian
Art and works closely with them on several
pretigious projects. Among the more eminent
ones are the Museum Society of Bombay,
CSMVS Museum Art Conservation Centre, and
the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum. Pheroza is also
the Chairperson of the Advisory Committee of
the National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai.
While art is her vocation, she does enjoy another
passion. Close to her heart is the conservation
and protection of nature’s bounty. She actively
supports various green NGOs, including the
National Society of the Friends of the Trees,
which she heads as President; the Ashoka Trust
for Research in Ecology and the Environment
(ATREE) of which she is a member of the
Governing Board and the Bombay Natural
History Society of which she is a former VicePresident.
Her good work does not just lie on canvas.
It is reflected in her concern for her fellow
people also. She is a Trustee of Impact India
Foundation, whose mission it is to make India
disability-free, and is former-President of the
Maharashtra United Nations Association.
These are not just titles but recognition for the
tremendous zeal and energy she has brought to
her commitments.
When there is a little downtime and she is by
herself she lets the music play. Even there, her
involvement is full on. With the Mehli Mehta
Music Foundation, she pursues her interest in
Western Classical Music and is also connected
with the Indian Council of Cultural Relations.
A sailing enthusiast, she is a trustee of the Sea
Cadet Corp.

As a person with such innate knowhow and
experience her opinion is highly valued in art
circles for the credibility she brings to the table.
July 2013

3. My definition of Power:
Use this Power wisely as
Power corrupts. Keep the
company of like minded
persons who will help you
when you need to make a
decision.
4. New Programs/frontiers
conquered in 2012:

Taking care of children less
fortunate and giving them
a safe and better future,
especially in education.

5. What next?

Keep doing the same
things and raising money
for projects to support the
children in need.

The personification of grace and a woman
for all seasons her achievements underscore
the depth of her work with improving the
lot of the needy and adding more than just a
touch of green to Mother Nature with whom
she has a special bond. Deena Motiwalla has
held many eminent positions and wears her
distinction lightly and with good cheer. She
has been the Co-Chairperson of Children’s
Hope Foundation, Founder of Dubai Garden
Circle and Chairperson of the Dubai Gardening
Group, a curiously delightful mix of interests
with a common thread of care and concern
running through it.
After completing her college degree in World
Affairs at Harwell House, Buckinghamshire
and Goethe Institute, Germany she joined
D. S. Mulla Consultant’s company in 1959
in Dusseldorf, Germany to gain some work
experience. Thereafter she returned to Mumbai
and worked for ten years with the Indo German
Chamber of Commerce, the first ever Indoforeign office to be opened in India, overseeing
matters relating to social and cultural affairs
at the Chamber. It was after this stint that she
married Bomi Motiwalla, a well-established
businessman.
The young couple then made a move from
India and arrived in Dubai in 1970, where they
carved for themselves not only a niche in the
corporate world but also became synonymous
with philanthropy and other charitable causes.
Her social standing received an added affection
with several others being inspired by her green
thumb and her love for maintaining gardens
and flowers and literally spearheading a
‘green’ culture in urban Dubai, a saga that has
becoming legendary.
Her reputation in this field spread beyond the
boundaries of the gulf. She travelled extensively
and spent quality time at the world’s finest
gardens in Holland and Scotland and attended
the world’s famous flower shows in Dortmund,

40

SynergyZ

December, 2013

(Germany), Chelsea, (England) and the
Floriade (Holland) the last being a once in ten
year celebration of fauna from all over the globe.
She is often quoted as saying “Flowers always
make people better, happier, and more helpful;
they are sunshine, food and medicine for the
soul.”
Deena’s bouquet of assets are best expressed
by her “In the 1970’s when I came to Dubai,
everywhere you saw, you could only see
stretches of barren sand. There wasn’t a single
green plant in sight. So I took it up as a challenge
and gradually nurtured a beautiful garden of my
own. I chose my flowers with care and tropical
orchids and temperate roses flourished even
in the sultry weather. As Chairperson of Dubai
Gardening I have arranged several flower, fruit
and vegetable shows annually in Dubai and
loved every moment of it.”
When the UAE embraced the idea of developing
more sustainable landscape she contributed
her ideas and techniques to the gardeners at
the Dubai Municipality. She has been a judge
at several Flower shows held in Dubai and
Bahrain.
In 2000, she became the Co-Chairperson of
‘The Children’s Hope Foundation’ that helps
children around the world. Among her more
esteemed awards are the Air India Cup; the IAL
Plate, and the Al Ain Municipality Plaque; and
the International Women’s Excellence Award
2011, Plaque and Crystal Trophy as “Mother of
Gardens”.
Deena Motiwalla is indeed one woman who
inspires, empowers and motivates. Even though
she knows life is not a bed of roses she has
cupped her hands around the buds and given
petals of hope and happiness to hundreds
of men and women and children so they can
flourish and grow…for that she has earned the
name, ‘a beautiful gardner.’

0 - Dec

13

r 20

Years

200

be

W

b

er

ng

Dece m

13
C Celebrat
i
ZC

em

HomaI
MODI
PROFILE

1. The business leader I admire
most: Anu Aga
2. My leadership style

¢
¢
¢
¢

Delegative
Participative
Authoritative

PAll of the above

3. My definition of power:

The ability to lead with authority
and control, yet involve those we
lead in decision making at times.
Discipline is a must, but with a
‘heart’.

4. New Programs/frontiers
conquered in 2012.

a. Wrote and published the
100 years’ history of the Bel-Air
Hospital of TB and HIV/AIDS in
Panchgani titled “Harvest of a
Century”.
b. Appointed on the 5 member
Advisory Board of the St. John
Ambulance Brigade No.3
Maharashtra State Headquarters,
Mumbai.

5. What next?

Keep handling various projects of
starting a new 20 storied State of
the Art Wockhardt Adams Wylie
Memorial Hospital in Mumbai; a
new blood bank and OPDs by Red
Cross; building a new Warehouse
in Vikhroli and setting up of a 3rd
Museum.

Homai Modi, the great granddaughter of Sir Kavasji Katrak of Karachi and
Jamshedji Framji Madan of Calcutta, a pioneer of film industries in India,
is a Trustee and Joint Hon Secretary, of the K.R.Cama Oriental Institute.
She has earned the reputation of being a reliable and an untiring social
worker who is involved in several humanitarian projects, especially under
the aegis of the Indian Red Cross Society. A few of them are: Nominee of the
Governor of Maharashtra on the Indian Red Cross Society, Maharashtra
State Branch from 1994-2008; Member, National Managing Body of the
Indian Red Cross Society, New Delhi, from 2006-2011. Currently, she is the
Honorary Secretary Maharashtra State Branch and Bombay City Branch,
overseeing 34 District and Sub-District Branches in Maharashtra and is
working in areas of health, disaster management and on the spot in the
Naxal affected forests of Gadchiroli, the last being a conflict zone. But
that does not deter her from taking the risk.She is also managing the BelAir TB and HIV/AIDS Sanatorium and Hospital at Panchgani and has
started the Bel-Air College of Nursing in 2006 in collaboration with the
University of Illinois, Chicago. It is certainly a full calendar but Homai has
place for more good work and her strong will ensures that no knock goes
unanswered.
Her contributions to the community include - organizing an exhibition
with the Prince of Wales Museum on “PARASIKA - the Zoroastrian Story”;
conducting for BPP the Tercentenary Celebrations in 1981; the first awards
function at the Cricket Club of India; the 4th and 5th World Zoroastrian
Congresses in Mumbai. She was the Representative of India at the 6th
Congress held in Tehran. She was on the Doongerwadi Committee and
published for BPP “Towers of Silence”. She has also helped set up two
permanent Museums in Udvada on the History of Zoroastrians and in
Navsari, on Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, the 1st Baronet. Her work and her
selflessness have touched many lives and lit a small candle where there
was darkness. Her satisfaction comes from the knowledge that you can
help your less endowed borthers and sisters and impact on their lives.
When you think of Homai Modi you think of largesse without borders.
A few of the many awards she has received are: Social and Community
Service Award, 1989 from the Federation of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumas of
India; the Dadabhai Naoroji International Millennium Award, 2003; the
Mahavir Mahatma Award for Oneness for Peace and Humanity in Social
Welfare in 2006; the Rashtriya Gaurav Award for Meritorious Services,
Outstanding Performance and Remarkable Role, in 2009 from the India
International Friendship Society, New Delhi; and the Red Cross Gold
Medal, 2011.

December, 2013

SynergyZ

41

Economy

Comfortable Homes at

Budget Price

T

he real estate segment will
see a huge surge in demand by end
2013. If you consider the example
of Mumbai the highest number of sale will
be seen in Parel and extended suburbs like
Vasai Virar Chembur Wadala Thane & Navi
Mumbai.
In Mumbai today, there are elite
neighbourhoods even in the suburbs. You
will find residential apartments in the
bracket of Rs.4- Rs.6 crores even in Thane &
Vashi. The reason for such new development
to happen within suburbs is the business
centres have shifted from South Mumbai to
the suburbs and extended suburbs.
As a result, the charm of once upon a time
premium areas like South Mumbai has taken
a hit and prices have appreciated at a higher
rate in the suburbs. An apartment in Byculla
will probably cost the same as Andheri or
Ghatkopar. The commercial segment is
a bit sluggish due to oversupply of space
versus the demand. Due to this developers
are coming up with new projects with small
office spaces to create more demand. Hence
small and medium enterprises can now get
corporate which fall within their budget in
areas like Lower Parel and BKC.

The commercial
segment is a bit
sluggish due to
oversupply of
space versus the
demandâ&#x20AC;?

The retail sector is not growing or creating
huge demand as was forecasted by industry
experts 5 yrs ago. Small malls are getting
converted into commercial office spaces and
hence you will see fewer malls opening in the
coming years.
On the whole you will see prices of real
estate going up at a higher rate either by this
year- end or post general elections.
As far as the Parsi community is concerned
I fail to understand why some people are
ready to shell out anywhere between Rs.3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;
Rs.5 crores for a leave and license contract in
residential baugs of Mumbai. At the same
price the person can buy probably lesser
area on ownership in areas like Worli, Lower
Parel, Bandra and most importantly create
an asset for oneself.
However for buying an apartment if one
looks at the home loan option which is
generally the case, the interest rates in India
are quite high even compared to Middle
East. I believe banks in Dubai offer 6% to 8%
on home loans versus 10% to 12% in India.
If NRI are looking at investing in real estate
sector solely for investing and not personal
use then it is always better to go in for a
reputed builder in an under-construction
project. This enables better rate appreciation
once the project is completed.
For consumers who are buying real estate in
India for the purpose of settling down and
wish to do so after 5 - 7 years can also buy in
under construction projects.

SynergyZ

December, 2013

Sir. J.J. School, Navsari

Carnation Villa Karjat

Sir. J.J. School, Navsari

Indus Bunglow Scheme Lonavala

We are about to launch our own projects in
Lonavala and areas surrounding Mumbai
catering to affordable housing segment.
Besides this we also offer consultancy services
for architecture and interior design and
turnkey contracts for high end residential,
commercial and hospitality projects.
By: Behzad Kharas,
Chairman & Managing Director,
THE BNK GROUP

42

Behzad Kharas

Samrat House Nashik

b

er

0 - Dec

13

r 20

Years

200

be

W

Dece m

13
C Celebrat
i
ZC

ng

GR8! Women’s Achiever Awards

em

Gulshan Kavarana

Winner of ‘GR8!
Women’s Achiever
Award’

E

veryone loves transformation stories
from rags to riches, plain to beautiful and weak to strong.
Gulshan Kavarana’s story is slightly different. It is thoughtprovoking. Perhaps most of all, the story of godly attributes like
courage, compassion, wisdom, and strength―attributes which
empower her to live one day at a time, enjoy one moment at a time,
accept challenges as pathway to success and hope that one day
everything will be alright.
Wise, talented and beautiful, Gulshan Kavarana has been living
in Dubai since last sixteen years. Needless to say, Gulshan’s life
changed drastically when her second daughter Zara was born in
1997. Zara was diagnosed with Dravets Syndrome. When Gulshan
found out about her condition she went desperately seeking help
and advice from other parents in similar situations, as she was a new
resident of Dubai. She felt as though she was drowning in self pity
and was the only one going through the stages of acceptance: guilt,
denial, self pity, anger, hopelessness and finally, the best stage of all
acceptance. Thus Special Families Support group (SFS) was born.
SFS started in 1999 with a dozen families in Gulshan’s living room.
The motivation behind the group’s initiation was to bring together
and uplift children with special needs and most importantly their
families.
The empowerment of parents, especially the mothers is something
that Gulshan believes SFS has been most successful in doing as
today, as parents are not afraid or embarrassed to talk about their
children and the problems they face with others. This liberation
has helped them stand up for themselves and their children and
really change the face of the society they live in. SFS just recently
celebrated their 13th year anniversary (December 9th 2012) and it is
evident that Gulshan has been a vital part of so many people’s lives

and helped make them feel accepted, loved and comfortable. SFS
has now grown to over 500 families and has chapters in Abu Dhabi,
Bahrain, Chennai, Jeddah, Malaysia and Mumbai. She also helped set
up the Ahura Support Group in Mumbai. Gulshan is truly spreading
the motto of SFS: respect, love and accept (individuals with special
needs) far and wide.
Gulshan is an Art teacher at Mawaheb, an art studio for adults with
special needs. She has won several prestigious awards. Most recently
she won the third annual Petrochem ‘GR8! Women’s Achiever Award’
that honours the region’s top women from a variety of remarkable
endeavours. She was also awarded the ‘Most Inspiring Woman Award’
from Arabian Business who nominated her among the ‘Top 100 Most
Powerful Indians in the GCC’ for three consecutive years. Gulshan is
also the recipient of the prominent PHASE (Princess Haya Award for
Special Education) where she won the ‘Outstanding Family Award’.
What’s On Dubai awarded her the ‘Inspire Award for Guardian of the
Year’ and she was featured in Ahlan’s ‘Hot 100’ people of the UAE. Not
only has Gulshan done her community proud and won the Jimmy
Mistry ‘Young Achievers Award’ but she also made her school proud
when they awarded her on their 100-year anniversary.
Gulshan believes that one does not need incredible resources to
impact another human being – one can and should make a difference
by being conscious, by thinking of creative ways to make others feel
good about themselves. She is grateful for the accolades that have
been bestowed upon her and tries to be a blessing in someone’s life,
everyday.
After all the strength of a woman is not measured by the impact that
all her hardships in life have had on her; but the strength of a woman
is measured by the extent of her refusal to allow those hardships to
dictate her and who she becomes.
December, 2013

n this ever-evolving world
of uncertainty and constant change,
never ever doubt the influence of the
Entrepreneur’s Spouse, as most successful
entrepreneurs
consider
unconditional
support from their spouses the single most
important factor for their continued success.
Substantial research, extensive analysis
and several personal interviews with
successful entrepreneurs and their spouses,
has compelled me to conclude that
entrepreneurs that come home to criticism
and unpleasantness abandon their enterprise
altogether. It has also led me to the fact that
entrepreneurs easily change strategies if it is
causing a problem at home.
Let us attempt to understand the role of this
very powerful individual that is probably the
closest person in the life of an entrepreneur
because a spouse is directly affected by the
success or failure of the enterprise. In the
case of a business partner, his/her role in the
business is most often direct and contractual,
and, in most cases, is seen and acknowledged.
On the other hand, a spouse frequently
remains in the background, unstudied and
generally unacknowledged.
Is an Entrepreneurs Spouse
really VALUED?
Entrepreneurs’ spouses live with uncertainty.
Most folks married to entrepreneurs,
value the role they play in supporting their
partners’ passion, and would want their
spouse to embrace a less mercenary view of
their relationship. A diamond necklace for
a missed family holiday dinner or a week
away from home on business, when there
happens to be a very sick child at home
does not always go down very well with a
spouse. Be optimistic, positive and generally
not prone to worry and BINGO you’re the
entrepreneurs version of a rock star.
As Peter F. Drucker has so pertinently
said, and I quote, “Wherever you see a
successful businessman, someone once
made a courageous decision”. And in most

46

SynergyZ

December, 2013

cases that courageous decision was either
made or strongly influenced by the spouse.
If they are your significant other, won’t their
opinion be significant as well? There is often
a disagreement about the answer to this
question though my personal feeling and
experience is YES INDEED… as their wisdom
will sharpen your business skills at seeing
things you would otherwise miss out on. It is
just like Wall Street, where people alight from
a Rolls Royce to get advice from people who
use the public transport system. A spouse
can most often become the motivating and
balancing factor in the life of an entrepreneur.
According to Bibby Financial Services,
spouses of business owners in the UK spend
230 million unpaid hours each month
to help their partners’ businesses. The
report also shows that the hours worked by
entrepreneurs’ partners are worth £72 billion
every year to the UK economy. Something to
think about….
The Entrepreneurs PRENUP
Entrepreneurs remain positive about
investing in people as most of them are of
the belief that people are their greatest asset.
Does that include the spouse? And the flip
side of this is a question that is not very often
asked (as it interferes with the family life and
ego of a spouse) - would you ever hire your
spouse either as an independent consultant
or an employee in your business?
Life as an entrepreneur is complicated
enough to start with, and the added burden
of balancing business and family is not
something an entrepreneur ever looks
forward to… not even when things are going
good. To create the business of your dreams,
an entrepreneur must learn the ins and
outs of an entrepreneurial partnership –
survival with the spouse while focusing on

growing and managing a business. Opening
a business is one thing, growing it is another.
When we put two people together, life
becomes intricate, problems get knotty and
the solution gets even more challenging. As
has been rightly said, “True partnership means
becoming comfortable with compromise,
but not becoming compromising”. Your
partnership should be committed towards
harmonizing the freedom and vision of your
entrepreneurial dreams with the grounded
practicality of making a business work
together.
And talking about commitment, there
was a striking difference however that
I observed when interviewing women
entrepreneurs. It also resonated with the
fact that the instinctive nurturing feeling in
a woman usually dominates her personality.
I observed that in order of priority, women
entrepreneurs usually list their spouse first,
their close friends second and their business
associates third. INTERESTING! (Men … are
we listening).
Spouses of entrepreneurs feel like second
class citizens when compared to the business
venture. They are asked to ‘balance’ the home
and the entrepreneurial venture to such an
extent, they feel that they are always asked
to ‘accommodate’ with the assurance that
things will only get better – the question being
WHEN! They believe in their entrepreneur
and the business and are willing to ‘please’ to
such a degree that sometimes they just wait
for a miracle to happen.
But do they really understand the business
and what it takes to be successful – can
they represent their entrepreneur and the
business at a social gathering, or are they at
times a source of embarrassment.
Let us address my four non-compromiseable prerequisites to being a ‘silent partner’.

The Balancing Act – bad
feedback and white lies
People like to be nice to people. But
unfortunately, when it comes to business,
spouses don’t always give the best advice. This
is especially true at the birth of a business.
Nobody wants to be a buzz-kill. The spouse
hesitates to tell the entrepreneur their idea
is bad, or their planning is not adequate, or
anything else negative. Most spouses get
conditioned to be supportive regardless of
the situation.
They also do not want to be wrong. Imagine
your entrepreneur has an idea that you think
is terrible. You share your objections, but he/
she goes ahead with the idea anyways, and it
succeeds. Now you’ll always be the naysayer
that never believed in them. Nobody wants
to be that person. And that is exactly why
most often you rarely get honest, objective
business advice from spouses. And yet,
spouses are the first people entrepreneurs
turn to for advice.
Confidence v/s Acceptance - Is
knowledge and confidence,
confused with emotion and
acceptance?
A hypothetical situation was created where
10 entrepreneurs and their respective spouses
are asked to board an airplane and are told
that the flight that they are about to take is
the first-ever to feature pilotless technology.
Each one of the couples is then told, privately,
that their company’s software is running the
aircraft’s automatic pilot system. Nine of the
entrepreneurs and their respective spouses
promptly leave the aircraft, each offering a
different type of excuse. One entrepreneur
and his spouse alone remain on board the jet,
seeming very calm indeed. Asked why they
were so confident in this first pilotless flight,
the spouse of the entrepreneur replied: “If it
is the same software that is developed by our
company’s IT systems department, this plane
won’t even take off”!
Determination and Persistence
– how much is too much!
I asked a ‘silent partner’ once – “Your
entrepreneur has failed twice already – why
are you still supporting his business venture
- do you really believe this time he will
succeed – haven’t you had enough already”?
And she replied with conviction in her voice,

0 - Dec

13

r 20

Years

200

be

W

b

er

ng

Dece m

13
C Celebrat
i
ZC

em

“Swimming along the flow is effortless but
swimming against it needs effort. You should
not go the way life takes you, but take life the
way you want to go…. dare to be determined
and persistent. This time I will be helping
him succeed”!

– “having gone through the pleasure of
being called ‘the silent partner’, and having
unconditionally supported your significant
other’s entrepreneurship dreams and
ventures, if there was just one thing you
wanted to tell ‘your entrepreneur’ what
would it be”?

Are you IN or OUT of the
Business – what is your
commitment?
In my opinion and experience, the biggest
question of all that an entrepreneurs spouse
needs to answer is - are you in or out of
the business. And this by no means is an
easy question to answer. But once you have
decided that you are ‘in’ the business, it
becomes a ball-and-chain that you carry
with you for a long time, whether you like it
or not. You are then married not only to the
entrepreneur but also to the business.

Their feelings, experiences and choice of
words may have been quite different based
on their circumstances, but one common
message was echoed loud and clear, and I
paraphrase this for your reading – “It is a very
difficult and challenging path but indeed a
satisfying one. It is also a lonely experience
which many will never be able to relate to
– however, it is a journey worth pursuing.
My Dear Entrepreneur, It is important to
remember that life goes on. While building
a business please don’t put your spouse on
hold”.

In my world of entrepreneurship, my spouse
is certainly IN the business. Though her
frustrations are very real and sometimes
visible; the unconditional support and
caring, the constant concern for my
accomplishments and my success, and the
worry regarding an adverse effect on my
ego, far make up for her dissatisfaction and
irritation of the entrepreneurial situation.
Having said this, she is also my best and
worst critic; a role that I encourage her to play
for continued success of the business.
In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, “I think
I’ve been asked to do something about
everything in the world except change the
weather”. These words so aptly describe the
feelings of an entrepreneur’s spouse. There
are always competing needs, and constant
juggling is required so as to prioritize
and focus to find a fine balance. Business
ownership can cause strain and resentment,
spouses say. It’s almost like there’s a thirdparty in your marriage. Work-life balance is
one of the biggest concerns for entrepreneurs,
and often it’s up to the spouse to keep that
harmony.
This is how they feel…. Our Silent
Partners
I consider myself privileged to have been
invited into the minds and hearts of our
‘silent partners’. What I learnt has certainly
made me think about my own situation
much more than I would ever care to admit.
One final question that I asked them all

About:

Nozer Buchia, also referred to as
Mr. Motivator, is an internationally
acclaimed motivational, inspirational and
keynote speaker of repute.
He is known as a “speakers-speaker”
due to his dynamic inimitable style of
humor and delivery, and his practical
approach to any situation. Author of WHY
ENTREPRENEURS REALLY FAIL and
ROADMAP TO SUCCESS
(co-authored with Dr. Ken Blanchard and
Dr. Deepak Chopra) Nozer guides and
mentors organizations and individuals, and
helps them plan and strategize for success.
Individuals and corporations worldwide have
greatly benefitted from his motivational
and keynote addresses, his seminars, and
his leadership training sessions, for he
stimulates thinking and helps formulate and
communicate corporate strategy with clarity
and effectiveness.
Nozer can be contacted at:
nozer@nozerbuchia.com and at
(832) 606-1777.
December, 2013

SynergyZ

47

Business Ethics

GLOBAL COLLAPSE OF
BUSINESS CREDIBILITY

GLOBAL COLLAPSE OF
BUSINESS CREDIBILITY

I

t was not very long ago that

our forefathers saw honour as the
cornerstone of their work ethos and
never allowed it to be compromised. They
would surrender wealth, comfort and profit
for their good name and anything less than
total probity was not even considered a
viable option. On the contrary, self esteem,
respect of their peers and doing the right
thing for the right reasons whatever
the consequences became not only the
hallmark of their ethics but was the core
of the legacy they handed to the next
generation.
The question we have to ask ourselves is
whether that legacy is now as spotless as
it has been through the centuries? Has the
era of technology and the sentiment of
â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;win at all costsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; turned ethics into a softer
entity, far too often eclipsed by the call of
expediency? One does occasionally get
the feeling that the old values have been
assaulted and bruised. They are seen as an
48

SynergyZ

December, 2013

inconvenience, an obstacle in the way of
material success.
Suffice it to say that while we may have
gained knowledge we have given up a great
deal of the intrinsic wisdom which marked
us as civilised human beings. Today
wisdom has taken a back seat. Perhaps the
saddest fallout of this dilution or moral
conduct is that it is tolerated and not seen
as deterioration but as a sign of our times.
Let me elaborate a little. We seem to
have an inbuilt resistance to looking up
to people. Where once we venerated the
learned, the teachers of our faith, the
keepers of our trust, we now have turned
these saints and wise men and women into
caricatures. There is no time for them,
they have become a picture on the wall, a
passing fancy but no longer the beacons
that guided us and kept us honest.
Do I sound dramatic when I submit that
the infinite wisdom and time tested virtues

of life have disappeared into the fog
of blind avarice, where we are now
judged and we judge by what symbols
of success we possess, not by looking
inside our souls. Let me reproduce
what Lin Yutang said, “Today we are
afraid of simple words like goodness
and mercy and kindness. We don’t
believe in the good old words because
we don’t believe in the good old values
anymore. And that’s why the world is
sick”.
The world is not sick. Indeed, it is we
who have stopped caring for it and
nursing it. If there is a sickness it lies
within us and it is now up to us to
come together and do some singular
and collective spring cleaning. Take
out those cobwebs of dirt, deceit and
depression and let the sun cleanse us
again.
We may not like to admit it but our
hearts are loaded with hatred, jealousy,
greed and malice. If I sound extreme
and even a little desperate it is because
the times call for a realisation and an
awakening. There is no point being
gentle and soft in one’s approach when
the citadel crumbles around us.
Ours acts are wrong and we shamelessly
and blatantly continue to stagger down
that path with a hope that assimilation
of all wrongs will ultimately culminate
into something ‘right’. The premise is
not only rocky it is mired in deception
for it can never convert into the
righteousness we expect.
Our tolerance for the acts our ancestors
despised is one of the single largest
reasons for this collapse of our code
of conduct. We do not see corruption
or bribery or graft as a crime but as a
convenience, a catalyst to get our work
done, to expedite delay or simply jump
the line. Nepotism has become a way
of life. Instead of fighting the rot in the
system we contribute to it and make it
worse. Let us remind ourselves of what
Milton S. Eisenhower maintained –
“Modern man worships at the temple

0 - Dec

13

r 20

Years

200

be

W

b

er

ng

Dece m

13
C Celebrat
i
ZC

em

Your Honor, I did not steal his
wallet. The money inside his wallet
looked so familiar, I thought it was
mine.”
of science, but science tells him what is
possible, not what is right”.
There is no doubt that the world
has progressed in terms of material
wealth, living conveniences, worldly
facilities, etc. but here again we need
to pause and read carefully what Omar
N. Bradley had to say years ago – “The
world has achieved brilliance without
conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear
giants and ethical infants”.
Even as this essay in ethics expressed
my dismay at the way things have gone
down the tube I am reminded of a
parable I must share with you. A Judge
in a court of law asks the convict why
he stole someone’s wallet. The convict
replied, “Your Honor, I did not steal his
wallet. The money inside his wallet
looked so familiar, I thought it was
mine”.
You see, our conscience has become
soft and malleable. We can tuck it
away, thrust it into a corner or simply
ignore it, because it is no longer our
inner policeman.
In the world of commerce, the true
bottom line of business is to spread
happiness and comfort. Business
produces a commodity that aids in
improving lifestyle.
This is precisely what our ancestors
did. They toiled hard to do something
constructive which would ultimately
provide a certain upliftment. Tatas,
Wadias, Godrej and many other
distinguished
business
stalwarts
generated happiness through their
noble deeds. That was the gilt edge
on their profits. They did good for
themselves but, more importantly, for
the community. There was no price tag
on their credibility.

It was Harry S. Truman who said – “A
person who is fundamentally honest,
doesn’t need a code of ethics”. And
so, how has it changed. The one point
agenda of today’s business is to amass
wealth at any cost and that, too, in the
shortest possible time. “Profit” is the
old-fashioned word; dead and gone.
“Profiteering” is the smartest way of
doing business.
The fall is universal and across the
board. We have lowered the bar to a
very low level. The corruption is in
business, it is there in sports, it is there
in society, it is there in religion. Frankly,
it is there in the very blood stream of
today’s mankind. Think about this
very sobering thought. “When God
measures a man, He puts the tape
around the heart instead of the head”.
Perhaps things will change and will
come a full circle. Perhaps we will go so
low and hit rock bottom and have no
choice but to rise again and recapture
the glory days where, as said at the
beginning, honour was all. Let us make
our life worth living.
Keep in mind the words of R.G.
Letourneau famous industrialist. “It
pays to be in partnership with God,
because spiritual bankruptcy is far
more serious than financial loss could
ever be.”

By – Adi Siganporia,
Chairman,
WZCC-Mumbai Chapter

December, 2013

SynergyZ

49

Business Dynamics

THE
DYNAMICS
OF DOING
BUSINESS
Although many new corporate leaders ignore the inherent logic of the old saying: if it ain’t broke don’t
fix it, perhaps it is fair to say that the reverse is also a hazard. If it is broken, don’t let it be that way, fix it.

C

ertainly, imperfection is a

spur and a challenge. It is like
giving an uncut diamond to
a gemologist and telling him to work
on it, eliminate the flaw and create a
beautiful item of jewellery. Much in the
same fashion, when I look around me,
I see so much that needs to be repaired,
redone, overhauled, corrected and
reworked. Those who pick up the baton
and run with it will be the achievers of
the future. The others will only dream
about change.

I wanted to take up the challenge of
being singularly responsible for what I
did in a working day and over the long
haul.
The question that many asked me at
that time was; “What made you opt
for such a significant change in your
career?”

There is no simple answer, nothing
like some midnight revelation or
an epiphany but a slowly gathering
conviction that I had to find my own
Remember the words of Robert track and run on it. I wanted the buck
Kennedy: Some people see things to stop with me.
as they are and ask why? Others see I have always been an avid reader on
things as they are not and ask, why the subject of Management, more
not…Vineet Nayar, Vice Chairman and specifically books by the well known
CEO HCL technologies.
author, the Late Peter Drucker. I was
After 18 years working with a
Multinational in multiple senior
management positions in the Chemicals
and Plastics Division, I decided, after
months of deliberation, to become an
entrepreneur. Not because the label
has a nice resonance to it, but because

50

SynergyZ

December, 2013

influenced by Drucker’s words on
“Managing Oneself.” He said: “Today’s
successful careers are not planned out
in advance. They develop when people
are prepared for opportunities, because
they have asked themselves the right
questions such as:

• What are my strengths?
• What are my values?
• How can I keep improving my
performance?
• Is my contribution providing value
to the Organization?
• Where should I be, so I can perform
to my maximum potential?
I took these words of wisdom to heart
and I tried to create my own philosophy
of the work ethos, if you can call it that.
And so it came to pass that I moved
from one orbit into another becoming
one of two entrepreneurs who formed
Ecoplast Pvt. Ltd. in 1981.
We had scarcely taken off when
tragedy struck us a cruel blow. My
partner and co-entrepreneur T.P.Vashi
unfortunately expired just two months
after commercial production started in
September 1982. But we soldiered on,
convinced that he would have wanted
us to make the company something

tangible even if his journey with it
had been cut short. Ecoplast became a
public limited Company in November
1994, and I was appointed Chairman
and Managing Director.
Today, I can safely say we are one of
India’s most respected suppliers of
multi-layer (3 – layer) Co-extruded
polyethylene and co-polymer films to
the Flexible Packaging Industry and
arguably one of the largest. Yes, we
have come a long way. I would place
on record that the milestones on this
success highway have been marked
by innovative ideas, specifically for
specialty applications which have been
developed over the last two decades.
When I look back, I have to admit,
that I did expect a modicum of success
because I had that self belief but
this was really much bigger than I
had dreamt. I am proud of it and am
humbled by the result of these years of
hard work. Naturally, everyone in the
Ecoplast family has a role to play, not
one of them is insignificant and I like
to see us as an entity.
Not that I am a Peter Drucker, by any
means, as we moved forward and began
to establish our bona fides and grew
exponentially, I did often contemplate
what it was that made us tick the right
boxes. Allow me to share my three
cornerstones of my work ethos and
paramount in making a business work:
i) Targeting or developing a process
for Customer Satisfaction – building a
Brand.
ii)
Overcoming the challenges
resulting from unforeseen changes in
the business environment.
iii) Developing a management system
As soon as an entrepreneur hires people
and gives them specific responsibilities
for performance, he becomes a
manager; the basic purpose being
to secure the most effective results
through and with the team. You cannot

0 - Dec

13

r 20

Years

200

be

W

b

er

ng

Dece m

13
C Celebrat
i
ZC

em

I have made it a point to earmark
a certain reading schedule for
my managers and would be
delighted to walk you through
my ‘library’”
go it alone or lead from behind…you
have to show the way.
All potential managers or entrepreneurs
striking out on their own should imbibe
the guidelines of the most successful
captains of industry. I have made it
a point to earmark a certain reading
schedule for my managers and would
be delighted to walk you through my
‘library.’
The work of Management began to
be studied from the early years of the
two most successful companies in
the world: Ford Motor Company and
General Motors. The thoughts on
modern management were initiated
by Alfred P. Sloan, Head of General
Motors, in his book “My Years with
General Motors.” Since then the
subject of management has been
widely explored and documented;
one major and renowned contributor
to management being Peter Drucker
and two of his most widely read books
titled: “The Practice of Management”
and “Managing for Results.”
It was not until the exciting 60’s that
the management consultancy firm
of Louis Allen Associates classified
management work logically into
four basic Functions - Planning,
Organising, Leading & Control and
related activities.
In this classification the work of each
Function and Activity is distinct and
unique, yet there is strong interrelationship, to the extent that no one
Activity conducted in isolation can
yield results and they must work in
consonance with each other.

Out there in our country there is so
much raw talent, so many skill sets,
so many young men and women all
ready to change the dynamics of doing
business.
For them I have encapsulated a few
points that would make a decent
framework to start with. They are
simple and even obvious but that is
exactly why many a person goes out of
the door and loses his way because he
does not recognise the ‘simple.’
1. Have an idea, a product or service
that is of value to the customer, or
will meet a need hitherto unfulfilled.
2. Have the capability (or alternately a
person within the Organisation) and
the essential knowledge to produce
and sell the product or service.
3. Have the capability to make a
credible project report or business
plan, to show the future cash
earnings potential and financial
ratios.
4. Provide some evidence of your
leadership capabilities.
5. Have the capability to develop a
management system, to sustain
growth and profitability.
If you can honestly rate yourself on
these five criteria and take the rough
with the smooth, the world is your
oyster.

eturn to Roots aims to
provide youth living in the
diaspora an opportunity to
experience Zoroastrian India through
short tours led by community experts
and scholars. The main feature of the
program is a short tour of Zoroastrian
India where youth explore and discover
their heritage while learning about
their commonalities and the diversity
that exists across the diaspora. Our
long-term goal is to run these tours
to Iran as well. We also aim to support
local Zoroastrian communities and
institutions within India as young
Zoroastrians return to their roots and
help revive the community globally.
The inaugural trip will be from 24
December 2013 to 6 January 2014 and
will include attendance at the World
Zoroastrian Congress in Mumbai.

We received applications from all over
the world for the inaugural trip, with
the majority of the applications coming
from North America. We also received
applications from Australia, Pakistan,
India and the UK.
52

SynergyZ

December, 2013

Once we complete the inaugural tour,
we plan to announce new trips for 2014.
We are planning to offer a special trip
to Zoroastrian India for adults; we are
designing a youth trip to India with a
special focus on Zoroastrian culture;
and we are also working towards
designing youth trips for Iran. If you
would like to be updated about our
future trips, please join our group
on Facebook by clicking here. More
information about the program is
also available on our website: http://
zororoots.org/
We endeavor to make these trips as
affordable as possible for youth, and we
have been able to accept participants
so far on a needs-blind basis. We
would like to thank BPP, FEZANA,
the Zoroastrian Association of Greater
New York, and the Zoroastrian Society
of Ontario, as well as several private
donors from across the globe for their
gracious support so far.

sand dunes of Bikaner, wildlife safaris
only add to the charm of this exquisite
sojourn.

Travelling in true
Maharaja style

I

ndia has the famed Palace

on Wheels and the Deccan
Odyssey (amongst few others) to
its proud portfolio of luxury trains. The
Maharajas’ Express has joined this elite
bandwagon bringing with itself the
superlative in luxurious rail transport,
heralding a new era in India’s travel and
hospitality sector.
Within a short span of three years, the
Maharajas’ Express has won accolades
like ‘World’s Leading Luxury Train
2012’ by World Travel Awards. Also
adjudged as the 1st Runners up in the
Conde Nast Readers’ Choice Travel
Award ’2011 and the ‘Best Luxury Train’
by CNBC Travel Award 2010, the train
has set novel standards in the realms of
stylish travel.
The first Pan India luxury train that
cuts along state borders, meanders
its way through some of the most
beautiful locales in the country offering
panoramic views of India’s countryside.
About half-a kilometer long, the
Maharajas’ Express chugs its way across
some of India’s culturally rich cities like
Agra, Jaipur, Gwalior, Ranthambore,
Varanasi, Khajuraho, Jodhpur, Udaipur
etc.to give the travelers a unique insight
into India’s rich heritage.
The Maharajas’ Express has redefined
luxury travel through a unique blend
of five-star hospitality and high-tech
modern amenities in the course of
its journey. With never before seen

features (on Indian luxury train) like
water-filtration plants in each coach,
individual climate control in each
cabin, direct-dialing telephones, etc.
this train journey aims to give its guests
the taste of Indian hospitality with
home-away from home feel.
Other extraordinary features include
spacious cabins and wardrobes, live
TV,
environment-friendly
toilets,
complimentary Wi-Fi connectivity,
large panoramic windows, CCTV
cameras in public areas, in-house
paramedic and air ambulance service,
24 hrs personalized valet services
in each cabin ensure an extremely
comfortable and delightful sojourn.
Two fine dining restaurants, namely
Mayur Mahal and the Rang Mahal
feature a mix of traditional Indian
and continental dishes to suit the
tastes of the discerning travelers. The
guests can relax in the Safari Bar or the
Rajah Club and choose from selection
of complimentary Indian wines and
liquors (foreign liquors being available
on payment basis). For the book
worms, a collection of books on Indian
art, culture and history are well laid out
to be explored.
Interesting excursions and gala events
await the guests at various cities on
the itinerary. The opportunity to meet
Indian royalty, elephant polo at Jaipur,
champagne breakfast overlooking the
Taj Mahal, sundowner cocktails on the

Owned by Indian Railway Catering and
Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC),
the Maharajas’ Express operates from
October to April on five different
itineraries. (For details, see Inbox.)
Each itinerary is designed to give the
guest a true feel of India’s rich culture,
heritage and wild life.
When compared to its South-East
Asian counterpart,
the Eastern
and Oriental Express (which runs
through Singapore, Kuala Lumpur
and Bangkok) and Rovos Rail (in
South Africa), the Maharajas’ Express
stands much superior with spacious
cabins and with the addition of ultraluxurious presidential suite and suite
cabins, both of which are available only
on the Maharajas’ Express.
Get ready to tour and enjoy this
unforgettable rail odyssey that
promises a truly royal experience.

About:
Bandana Jain is a freelance
writer based in Dubai who
writes articles on travel,
art, lifestyle, environment,
personalities, education,
current events, etc…
She can be contacted at:
bandanajain@yahoo.com
December, 2013

SynergyZ

53

Opportunities in India

Homeward Bound

S

tarting in the seventies
and eighties, increasingly

By 2015
approximately
300,000 working
professionals will
return to India.
There are many
reasons for this...â&#x20AC;?
Umeed Kothavala
outlines the pros and
cons for consideration by
experienced and talented
Indians with international
exposure.

ambitious Indian parents packed
their children off to colleges abroad in
the hope of a better education, better
job opportunities and a premium in
the marriage market. Moving West
or Down Under was a passport to
prosperity and a better future.
Is the tide now turning? What started
as a trickle in the nineties is fast
gaining momentum. Kelly Services,
a recruitment consultancy firm,
estimates that by 2015 approximately
3,00,000 working professionals will
return to India. There are many reasons
for this.

Multinationals are relocating
employees

Multinationals setting up office in
54

SynergyZ

December, 2013

India and expanding their business
on the sub-continent are relocating
their Indian employees back to
India. Their NRI employees blend
well into the Indian work culture
and most understand at least one
Indian language; and India is in
need of these experienced managers
and tech professionals. Salaries are
commensurate with the foreign
lifestyle.
Green card and immigration
insecurity

Green cards in the US are more difficult
than ever to get with waiting times
stretching from six to ten years.
Better opportunities in India

The economic downturn in 2008 and
the recession that followed resulted in
jobs vanishing almost overnight. The

Indian economy, however, has surged
over the last decade and has been
somewhat insulated from the crisis.
India now offers careers beyond IT. The
gap in compensation between India
and the West has been bridged.
Improved standards of living in
India

Standards of living in India are on the
rise – particularly in the metros and
larger cities where most NRIs choose
to settle. International food, shopping,
culture and fashion allow one to
maintain a universal lifestyle. Most
NRIs live comfortable lives in secure,
gated communities and have no dearth
of household help.
The availability of
good schools

Education is one of the most crucial
factors in the decision to move back.
Most returning Indians seem satisfied
with the standard of education at the
school level – specifically at the better
international schools. Indian schools
tend to be less impacted by drugs,
violence, and gang wars.
Emotional attachments

The biggest motivator, however, is
emotional. As high as 76% of Indians
said it was family ties that brought
them back home. Most Indians have
a strong sense of family. They want to
take care of ageing parents; they want
to raise their children in India with
Indian values.
Loneliness may also be a contributing
factor. A good job and secure financial
conditions do not compensate for the
absence of one’s extended family and
larger circle of friends.
Despite its many advantages, India can
be harsh, unyielding, and frustrating at
the best of times.

We take a look at some of the
problems and challenges below.
The Indian Work Ethic

The workday in the US and most
European countries typically starts and
ends early, leaving evenings free for
personal time. Weekends are precious
and jealously guarded. In India, it’s
usual to get to work late in the day –
especially in the IT industry – and to
work until late at night.
Indian employees perceive quality
differently
from
their
western
counterparts. They are more tolerant of
failure. Indians find it hard to be direct
and they find it impolite to say no. They
also take criticism personally and do
not see it as constructive.
Kaustubh Gunjal, who moved back
to India after nine years in Australia
resented the fact that in several
HR interviews he was treated as a
commodity to be accommodated
strictly within a pre-defined role.
He feels educated people with work
experience should be given the
opportunity to try their hand at
something new.
Education

At the college level, competition is
fierce and getting admission into IITs
and similar institutions is extremely
difficult, and often not worth the
effort to battle the arbitrariness of the
process.

0 - Dec

13

r 20

Years

200

be

W

b

er

ng

Dece m

13
C Celebrat
i
ZC

em

Facilities and Transport

Being transplanted from an immaculate
and manicured Western suburb into
one of India’s over-crowded, polluted
metros can be a culture shock even
for most Indians. Right outside the
walls of gated communities sprawls
reality – crumbling infrastructure, a
lack of public facilities, pothole-ridden
roads and systems that just don’t work.
Power and water shortages make dayto-day living a nightmare. While
public transport is improving, it hasn’t
been able to keep up with surging
populations.
Ultimately, returning to India is a
personal decision, driven and impacted
by several, sometimes conflicting,
needs and priorities. For some, the
country seems to be in an eternal state
of change. Yet for those who make the
journey successfully, it’s an opportunity
for a fresh start, to do more, give back,
and bring global experiences back
home. It’s a ringside seat to the greatest
show on Earth.

A good job and secure
financial conditions do
not compensate for the
absence of one’s extended
family and larger circle of
friends.”

Rampant Corruption

NRIs find it hard to deal with the
corruption that permeates almost every
aspect of daily life. This means living and
working in an ethically questionable
environment, and too often having to
resort to unconventional means to get
one’s work or personal affairs taken
care of.

By: Umeed Kothavala
CEO, Extentia Information
Technology

December, 2013

SynergyZ

55

Coaching

The role of coaching in the

context of management
We are vaguely familiar with the terms management and coaching. but still lack the knowledge of
what they offer and how they benefit us? Given the stressful lives that most of us lead, understanding,
appreciating and utilising coaching skills is more important than ever before for achieving personal
and business success, says Adil Sarkari, NSW Manager, Service Central, and President, WZCC –
Australia.

I

n order to lift the shroud

of mystery and misunderstanding
about ‘Management’ and ‘Coaching’
let us start by defining both.
The term ‘management’ has a couple of
senses: the act of managing something
or those in charge of running a
business. Mary Parker Follett, a well
known management guru in the 19th
century, defined Management, “As
the art of getting things done through
people.” Whereas, ‘Coaching’ is a way
to direct, instruct and train individuals
with the goal of achieving or developing
specific skills which help them to enjoy
greater success, less stress and better
organisation. In fact, the term “coach”
had its origin in the Hungarian word
‘kocsi‘ meaning “carriage” that was
named after the village where it was first
made. In 1830’s, the term coach implied
to someone who is an ‘instructor’ or
one who “carries” a student through an
exam. Coaching, thus, has been used
to describe the process to transport
people from where they are to where
they want to be.
While personal and professional goals
may overlap, business coaching differs
from life coaching in that the focus
is to provide support and guidance
to improve the effectiveness of an
individual’s or a group’s business in
relation to issues such as:
56

Unfortunately
many
companies
do not take business coaching into
consideration until they start facing
problems and challenges. Only then do
they call the corporate coach to ensure
that the business continues to operate
efficiently and effectively. However
executive coaching is an extremely
accessible and efficient learning
method. It is not only an essential
feature of management, it is also an art,
which makes use of some underlying
body of knowledge and focuses on
getting something done. Coaches make
something happen that presumably
would not happen otherwise through
the actions of others.
Coaching helps both an employee
and an organisation to accomplish
their full potential. It also involves
exploring an individual’s or a group’s
wants, enthusiasm, requirements,
training and thought processes and
bringing about permanent changes in
attitude and work ethics e.g. gaining
self mastery, developing positive habits
to achieve milestones, have a sense of
humour, accept change, develop worklife balance, empathy, intuition and
self awareness.
Thirty-five years ago, whilst working
in India, the paradigm of ‘control

and order’ was part of the ingrained
culture, and any other management
style was considered a sign of weakness.
Times are changing and alternatives
are starting to be accepted. Today,
coaching has achieved great results and
evolved to new levels.
A good coach always employs
questioning techniques to make his
possible customers be the possessor
of their reflection processes, so that
they can recognise their own way of
resolving difficulties and taking actions
rather than a completely dictative
approach. Further, a coach ropes his
customers in preparing appropriate
goals, developing steps and helps to
evaluate developments in relation to
those aims.
There was a period where coaching
was set aside for senior managers and
company directors. However, now it is
available to everyone as a professional/
personal development tool.
Coaching focuses on the individuals
and
can
improve
self-esteem,
enthusiasm, efficiency and reduce
employee turnover as individuals
feel valued and connected with
organisational changes. This role may
be provided by internal coaches and,
increasingly, by external professional

0 - Dec

13

r 20

Years

200

be

W

b

er

ng

Dece m

13
C Celebrat
i
ZC

em

coaching agencies. There is also a
growing tendency for individuals to
take greater responsibility for their
personal and professional development
and even those who are employed
in large organisations are no longer
relying on employers to provide them
with their career development needs.
There has been a boost in the number
of employees contracting coaches on a
private basis.
Coaching programmes in general prove
to be popular amongst employees
as coaching brings about a balance
between rewarding organisational
goals and objectives whilst taking into
account the personal development
needs of individual employees. It is a
two-way relationship with both the
organisation and the employee getting
momentous paybacks.

By: Adil Sarkari
MBA, J.P., Sydney,
Australia

Congratulations
SynergyZ extends its warmest congratulations to
Dorab Erach Mistry on being awarded the ‘OBE’
in recognition of the pivotal role played by him in
promoting Interfaith relations in the UK.
Dorab has also rendered yeoman services to ZTFE and
the Zoroastrian community for which we are truly
grateful.
To be included in the Queen’s birthday Honours list,
is indeed an honor and a personal accomplishment
and we share in his happiness and wish him and his
family the best in the future while expressing the
pride the global Zoroastrian community feels over this
distinction.

December, 2013

SynergyZ

57

Education

More than just a degree of skill

A

rmed with a degree we

Keep in mind
that education
is not cheap.
Many parents are
putting in savings
or endowment
plans to plan for
their childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
education. The
estimated cost of
a tertiary degree
education is
expected to be
double or triple in
20 years time.â&#x20AC;?

venture forth to do battle in the
real world, confident that the
certificate of merit will be our armour
and our sword. All too often the edge
of that sword becomes blunted by
the caprice of fate and the armour is
pierced by a reality check.
While there is no substitute for a good
education in opening the door to great
opportunity, by itself it becomes frail.
To exploit it happily and positively,
education needs the pillars of wisdom,
enterprise, ingenuity and courage to do
what has not been done before. It is a
compass to the new frontier, whatever
your discipline, but you must be ready
to take the risk.
For every Albert Einstein, there
is a Bill Gates. For every Socrates,
there will be a Steve Jobs. For every
trained professional there will be an
entrepreneur who will challenge the
status quo.
Education, therefore, does give you
access but it offers you no guarantee
that you will professionally touch the

58

SynergyZ

December, 2013

stars. On the contrary many of us come
a cropper because we cannot grasp the
fact that unless we put the pillars we
will totter.
Again, too many of us who belong
to the Indian milieu, the concept of
education is more Macaulayan and
pedantic, bed rocked as it is in the
regurgitation of facts and figures. This
theoretical affection for the purely
academic has often stopped the free
thinker and created a two dimensional
approach. That vital third dimension
is entrepreneurship, that ability to be
creative, pro-active and practical.
If we can attain that combination our
armour is so much stronger and less
likely to be invaded. Now, we can take
on the challenges that lie on the road
to success.
Success in life includes both the
quantitative (financial ability, material
well-being) and qualitative (mental
and spiritual well-being) aspects.
However, both are very much related
to the success of a person in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
increasingly pragmatic society.

In capsule, education still remains one
of the main factors to success, although
its significance is shifting from learning
to experiencing!
Let me now share a conundrum
with you.
Today, we live in a more interconnected world. There is no argument
about that. With the creation of the
Internet, information is made available
and accessible to us easily. Thus,
paradoxically the value of information
has dropped significantly. There is
no need to strive, it is parcelled and
dropped on our doorstep. There is no
longer a call for people who have the
ability to store/remember information
thanks to databanks, apps platforms,
instant information from computers
and the Internet.
How do we harness this incredible
resource and make it work for us? That
is the question of the future.
In addition, the focus is now more on
creating a knowledge-based Economy
where creativity and innovation are the
keys to success. In view of this, many
of the current education curriculums
provided by schools will not be
sufficient. For example, the education
system in China and Singapore still
focuses very much on the transfer of
knowledge through textbooks and
notes. This form of education allows
less room for the growth of creativity
and innovation. Thus, it is unlikely
for a student to climb up high on the
innovation ladder in his later stages
of life as he or she may only be able to
regurgitate what is in the notes but not
able to apply the knowledge effectively.
As such, the current form of education
may not be able to equip students with
the right keys to tap into new business
opportunities and achieve success in
life. India, too, has a huge vat of talent
and skill sets but it has to move away
from the purely academic rote system
that curbs free thinking and creates
assembly lined products sanitised of
individuality.

Education has to change, it has to
adapt and become more practical in its
outlook. Traditional sciences of Maths,
Economics, Law are no longer the
most sought after career options, but
areas such as Computer technology,
Animation, Entertainment, Media
and Creative studies have come to
the forefront. Marketing Directors of
Global MNC’s are as sought after as
Chartered Accountants or Doctors.
The old world is clearly making way for
a paradigm shift in learning. No career
options is looked down upon, each one
has its own merits.
Accept the fact and embrace it.
Education has moved away from
learning towards training, from books
to skills. But do not get carried away
with the sizzle because the steak is
still reflected in the basic grounding
and the discipline of the traditional
classroom. You learn not only from the
syllabus but also from your mistakes
and it is this collective learning that
forms the foundation for your future.
Moreover, education allows people to
be exposed to new opportunities which
form an essential gateway to success.
Through education, people will gain
better knowledge and understanding of
themselves and others. This opens up
new working opportunities for them.
For example, a degree nowadays will
serve as a ‘passport’ to better working
opportunities.
There is another swiftly increasing
dimension to the brain bank, so to
speak. Access to education by women
has also resulted in empowerment,
allowing them to participate more in
the corporate world, thus achieving
better economic status and success for
themselves.
It should also be noted that any
education system will evolve with time
and responds to the needs of success.
In the UAE, the education system has
been revised many times to cater to the
pragmatic needs of our society. This
is evident in the introduction of new
education zones due to the booming

0 - Dec

13

r 20

Years

200

be

W

b

er

ng

Dece m

13
C Celebrat
i
ZC

em

economy of this country. There is
also more focus on the development
of arts and culture. The range of
facilities catering to different skills
and disciplines is impressive and is
the core of the training system. This
offers opportunity and positioning as
well as that very important element of
job satisfaction, something we often
forget as the forerunner of excellence.
In Dubai and Abu Dhabi there are
institutes set up in Knowledge Zone
and Media Zone like EMDI, SAE, &
Twofour54 who offer short courses.
In a world where change is the
only constant, the old fashioned
educational systems may take time to
adjust. But adjust they must if they
have to stay valid. Therefore, it should
be recognized that to succeed in life
today, one not only needs education,
but also new training, experiential
learning and working ethics in order to
achieve success.
Keep in mind that education is not
cheap. Many parents are putting in
savings or endowment plans to plan
for their children’s education. The
estimated cost of a tertiary degree
education is expected to be double or
triple in 20 years time. Therefore, there
must be dividends at the end of the
investment.
The past is the past. The networking
and the old boys’ exclusivity of
yesterday is no longer on the table.
While bloodlines can tip the scales they
do not guarantee anything. You have to
be good and you have to deliver…that
is the pedigree measure for tomorrow.

grown considerably since the
country was created by seven
Gulf Emirates in 1971. It is a fact that
some of the emirates of the UAE are
blessed with massive reserves of oil
and gas, but these alone have not been
the means to ensure stability, security,
peace, progress and prosperity achieved
by the UAE over an incredibly short
span of time. The country’s massive oil
wealth has been used to finance massive
infrastructure development projects
and the Government is continuing
its ongoing economic diversification
drive to guard the economy against
unpredictable oil exports earnings,
attain substantial growth and ensure
jobs for its citizens. The UAE’s dramatic
growth in a span of less than four
decades owes much to the exceptional
vision and wisdom of its Rulers, who
could perceive things much ahead of
time and plan accordingly.
There are many options open to
60

SynergyZ

December, 2013

international companies seeking to
establish business with the UAE. Apart
from forming a trading relationship
through commercial agencies, for
many companies there are distinct
advantages in having an on-thespot presence. This makes it easier
to research market prospects, make
contacts, liaise with customers and see
through the details of any transactions
and orders secured. Having a presence
is also important in the context of the
commercial culture of the Middle East.
Businessmen in the region prefer to
deal with someone they know and trust
and personal relationship is generally
more important in doing business in
the region.
The UAE presents international
businesses with a wide range of
opportunities for different
activities
and operations. The incentives include:
• Free enterprise system;
• No personal or withholding taxes

on income or capital, no value
added tax (VAT), corporate tax
only limited to foreign banks and
foreign oil companies;
• No foreign exchange controls
and a stable, freely convertible
currency;
• Sophisticated Services sector
– major international hotels,
banks, accountancy and
legal firms, advertising agencies,
consultants etc;
• State of the art infrastructure and
facilities;
• A key centre in the global
transport, logistics and
distribution system;
• Major regional conference and
exhibition venue;
• Time zone bridge between the Far
East and Europe;
• Leading centre for tourism and
leisure activities in the Middle
East;

requirements, a minimum of fiftyone per cent participation by UAE
National(s) is mandatory for all UAE –
established companies except:
• Entities set up in the various Free
Zones;
• Foreign companies registering
branches or representative
offices in the UAE (provided a
UAE National Agent is appointed
in accordance with provisions of
the law);
• Civil/Professional entities
where 100% foreign ownership is
permitted subject to their
complying with the relevant local
laws and regulations; and
• Offshore/International companies
set up under regulations issued by
various Free Zones.

• Cosmopolitan lifestyle, tolerant,
virtually crime-free environment.
The basic requirement for all business
activity in the UAE is to secure one
of the following three categories of
licenses:
• Commercial licenses covering all
kinds of trading activity;
• Industrial licenses for
establishing industrial or
manufacturing activity;
• Professional licenses covering
professions, services, craftsmen
and artisans;
One of the important aspects of
doing business in the UAE is the legal
structure. In the past, each Emirate
followed its own procedures governing
the operations of foreign business
interests. However, since 1984, steps
have been taken to introduce a codified
companies’ law applicable throughout
the UAE known as the “Commercial
Companies Law”.
With

regard

to

The Free Zone entities are normally
used for doing business within the Free
Zone or Overseas. There are number of
Free Zones in the UAE of which some
of the Free Zones are specific business/
industry oriented zones and others are
suitable for wider activities.
The Free Zones normally provide
benefits like:
• 100% foreign ownership;
• No personal income taxes and
no corporate taxes for 25-50 years,
a concession that is renewable;
• 100% repatriation of capital and
profits;
• No currency restrictions;
• Full exemption of import duties
on goods used in re-export
trade and for industrial purposes;
• ‘One-stop-shop’ administration
services for license approvals and
visa matters;
An entity in the Free Zone can be
established either as (a) Branch office
of a foreign company or a company
registered in the UAE or (b) Free Zone
Establishment (FZE) which is a single
shareholder company or (c) Free
Zone Company (FZC) which is a multi
shareholder company.

0 - Dec

13

r 20

Years

200

be

W

b

er

ng

Dece m

13
C Celebrat
i
ZC

em

Some of the Free Zones in the UAE have
introduced provisions for establishment
of offshore/international companies.
Such companies are required to have
a registered agent approved by the
respective Free Zone Authority. The
offshore companies do not require
an office space and the office address
of the registered agent is used as the
registered office address of the offshore
companies. No UAE resident visas are
granted for the employees/directors.
A bank account can be opened with
some of the banks in the UAE. Such
companies are also not allowed to carry
on any business with the persons/
companies’ resident in the UAE.
The choice of appropriate structure
for establishment of presence in the
UAE requires consideration for various
factors such as nature of activities,
target market and area of coverage,
requirements for infrastructure and
facilities (office size, number of visas
etc.), location preference, if any, and
annual operating costs.
In the final analysis, it is clear that the
gulf region is a growing and attractive
market in the world for investment
and business and the UAE has all
the factors to be the prime choice for
foreign investors.

About:
Priyesh Kapadia, is a Partner and
Head of Advisory Services in BDO’s
UAE office. He has been an advisor
to number of corporate groups to
formulate the business structure for
establishment of their presence in the
UAE. BDO is a worldwide network of
public accounting firms, called BDO
Member Firms. BDO is the fifth largest
such network in the world.

ownership
December, 2013

61

Bollywood

Parsi Pioneers &

The heir apparents of Bollywood

A

S BOLLYWOOD CELEBRATED 100 YEARS OF THE
TALKIES, barely a thought was spared for the two

Parsis -- Ardeshir Irani and Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy (JJ)
Madan – who gave Indian audiences their first talking films
in Hindi. Sohrab Mody, who turned the historical genre
into popular cinema, was known to draw crowds with his
dialogue delivery. Each time you see Akshay Kumar pull off
a stunt sequence who remembers the Wadia Brothers who
regaled audiences with Nadia’s fearless stunts?
The now generation of Parsis too are making their mark.
Among the commercial successes in 2012, two were Parsicentric - Ferrari ki Sawaari and Shirin Farhad Ki Nikal Padi.
Coincidentally, Boman Irani led the cast for both, which
included several fellow Parsi actors.

Sohrab Modi

THE PIONEERS
Ardeshir Irani came out
of Bombay’s Excelsior
Cinema
having
watched
Universal
Pictures’ Show Boat;
and resolved to make
India’s first talkingsinging film. Alam Ara
had 55 songs (!) six of
them hits, mostly sung
by Zubeida, the leading
lady. ‘De de khuda
ke naam pe pyaare…’
became an instant
rage among beggars.
Advertised as “an All
Living, Breathing 100 per cent Talking Drama…” it released
on March 14, 1931, at Bombay’s Majestic Cinema which
witnessed a virtual stampede, the police were summoned.
Cashing in on the demand, four-anna tickets were sold for
five rupees!
After watching Warner Brothers’ Jazz Singer, in New York,
JJ Madan was so overwhelmed, that he decided to launch
a talkie on his return to India. Clueless about Alam Ara,
JJ Madan visited Hollywood to understand the logistics
of making a talkie. In fact, Madan Theatres had been the
first to release a talkie in India - Universal Studio’s Melody
of Love in 1929 at Calcutta’s Elphinstone Picture Palace.
So JJ Madan’s Shirin Farhaad was the second talkie film to
be released in India, on May 30, 1931. Produced by Madan
Theatres of Calcutta and directed by JJ Madan himself. It
had 18 songs.
62

SynergyZ

December, 2013

THE LEGEND
When Sohrab Modi sought his principal’s vocational
guidance, the latter advised: “With a voice like yours, you
should either become a politician or an actor.”During a
screening of Sheesh Mahal at Minerva Theatre, Bombay,
Sohrab Modi noticed a man sitting in the front row with
his eyes closed. Offended by the man’s audacity, he asked
an attendant to return his money and show him out. The
employee returned, saying that he was blind, but had come
just to hear Sohrab Modi’s dialogues!
Sohrab Modi’s USP was his voice, and Urdu fluency. Modi
admitted that he grew up with an acute dislike for history.
Ironically, with his trilogy of historical spectaculars - Pukar,
Sikandar and Prithvi Vallabh, Sohrab Modi made the genre
popular, as he reinterpreted history for a modern audience.
As an actor, Modi capitalized on his gift for eloquence, and
as a filmmaker he encapsulated the grandeur of Indian
history. Mirza Ghalib not only pulled him out of the woods,
but earned him the President’s Gold Medal for Best Feature
Film of 1954. In 1980, Sohrab Modi was the 10th recipient of
the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

THE MOPPETS
Daisy Irani and Honey Irani
The Golden Age of Hindi cinema was between 1950s to1970s.
It was because of some the most beautiful films were made
during the period; it was also the era of the finest child stars
that contributed in no small measure to make it so. The
Irani sisters, Daisy Irani and Honey Irani, became household
names and the films, which had both these sisters, fetched

the biggest openings. Stories were re-written to include them
in the cast or increase their footage in the films and they
were prominently publicized in the promos of their movies.
While Daisy continues to act in films and TV serials; Honey,
on the other hand, has staked a place as a script writer. Her
credits include Armaan which she also directed.

0 - Dec

13

r 20

Years

200

be

W

b

er

ng

Dece m

13
C Celebrat
i
ZC

em

THE ICONOCLASTS
Ronnie Screwvala

THE ORIGINAL STUNT QUEEN

The Wadia Brothers - JBH and Homi steered a new course
from their master shipbuilder ancestors with Wadia
Movietone in 1933, now in its 80th year. Their seminal films
were those featuring their protégé Nadia (Mary Evans) the
persona of Hunterwali, a daredevil, masked woman with
a whip. She later married Homi Wadia who also directed
her in the cult stunt film Hunterwali. Nadia performed her
amazing action sequences herself, thereby endearing herself
to audiences. This writer witnessed Nadia’s fan following
when at a festival of Nadia’s films to commemorate the 60th
anniversary of Wadia Movietone senior citizens went up to
the aged actress for autographs! Diamond Queen (currently
under restoration) is a seminal stunt film and the credit is
equally shared by both Nadia and Master, and John Cawas
her partners in thrills.

Newsweek has called him the Jack Warner of India. Ronnie
Screwvala has set quite a few new benchmarks. From a cable
operator to a media giant, Ronnie Screwvala has not only
reached the pinnacle of success, but also struggled to survive
in the entertainment industry. Ranked 78th among the 100
most influential people in the world by Time Magazine,
Fortune Magazine placed him among their Asia’s 25 Most
Powerful.
UTV which he founded with Zarina Mehta and Deven
Khote was a pioneering independent production house:
they produced a quiz show for Doordarshan, gave India
her first ever reality show ‘Saanp Seedi’, and then the first
afternoon daily soap opera ‘Shanti’. UTV’s film arm is more
of the same story. Their films aren’t just box office successes,
but also content heavy, and this sets them apart from the
rest. Movies like Rang De Basanti and Jodhaa-Akbar proved
to be commercial blockbusters which took UTV Motion
Pictures to new heights. Having co-produced films like The
Namesake, Ronnie Screwvala has been responsible for the
growing associations with Hollywood and the global market.

December, 2013

SynergyZ

63

Bollywood

Shiamak Davar
A dancer - choreographer actor-singer of immeasurable
talent, Shiamak Davar’s tryst
with Bollywood began with
Dil To Pagal Hai, for which he
won the President’s National
Award. Having changed the
way dance was perceived
in Indian films, he has
choreographed for several
Bollywood films including
Dhoom 2 (which sets
audiences rocking in their
seats) and Taare Zameen
Par. He even choreographed
for Hollywood’s
Mission
Impossible 4 with Tom
Cruise. For his last film, Jooth Bole Kauwa Kaate, Hrishikesh
Mukherji turned to Shiamak for the title sequence – which
he sang and enacted.
A regular judge with India’s television reality shows including
Jhalak Dikhla Ja (Dancing with the Stars). Shiamak is the
first Indian to introduce Contemporary Jazz and western
forms of dances to thousands across India through SDIPA,
the largest dance education movement. SDIPA with its
motto: Have Feet Will Dance has reached out to millions
of dance enthusiasts across Canada, Australia, the UAE and
U K. If this doesn’t make Shiamak Davar an icon for global
cultural exchange, what does?

APRO HERO
John Abraham

Bollywood’s most loved hunk and a wonderful human
being; John Abraham has a Parsi mother who named
him Farhan and a Malayali father who named him John.
64

SynergyZ

December, 2013

He loves his dhansak (his Mum’s), though he’s vegetarian by
choice and supports animal rights. Last year, John Abraham
turned producer with Vicky Donor, an off-beat RomCom.
A commercial success, it was also one of the most awarded
films of 2012; which included the National Film Award for
the Best Popular Film providing Wholesome Entertainment.
His revolutionary good looks, macho body and charismatic
smile made him the highest-paid supermodel in India. He
made his film debut in an unlikely erotic and emotional Jism.
His early films hiccupped out of the theatres till Dhoom, a
blockbuster where he played the antihero, happened. He
studied the Quran in translation to prepare himself to play
an NRI Muslim in Kabir Khan’s New York, a performance
which earned him sobriquets. Force, his solo film, was an
unexpected success.

TURNING POINT
Boman Irani
One of India’s most
consummate actors,
there are very few
blockbusters
where
the
credits
don’t
mention Boman Irani.
For this photographer
turned actor, acting
had been a passion.
With
successful
plays like I’m not
Bajirao and Gandhi
V/s Gandhi behind
him;
Boman Irani
grabbed
attention
as Dr Asthana in the
blockbusting comedy
Munnabhai
MBBS
which earned him
the Screen Award for
Best Performance in
a Comic Role. His
awards sweep performance was as Virus in 3 Idiots which
earned him the Star Screen Award for Best Villain, Filmfare’s
Best Supporting Actor Award and IIFA’s Best Villain Award.
Although his performance as Jahangir Hayaat Khan in
Yash Chopra’s Veer Zaara wasn’t an award winner, he must
be credited for his impeccable Urdu dialogue delivery. He
read out his lines to his Urdu speaking driver, who would
correct his diction, etc. Now also a show host and anchor,
Boman Irani’s dining table has one more actor – his younger
son Kaiyoze Irani who made a noticeable debut with Karan
Johar’s Student of the Year.

0 - Dec

13

r 20

Years

200

be

W

b

er

ng

Dece m

13
C Celebrat
i
ZC

em

Sooni Taraporevala

Shernaz Patel

She wears many hats – a photographer, scriptwriter and
now a director. Her directorial debut Little Zizou has been
widely acclaimed and won the National Award for Best Film
on Family Values, the Audience Choice Award at the Indian
Film Festival of Los Angeles among others. Her early claim
to fame was as the screenwriter of the Oscar-nominated
Salaam Bombay directed by Mira Nair. Her other scripts
include Nair’s ‘The Namsake’, Sturla Gunnarson’s ‘Such a
Long Journey’ based on Rohinton Mistry’s book and Dr.
Jabbar Patel’s Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Daughter of theatre veterans Ruby and Burjor Patel, Shernaz
Patel continues the family’s theatre tradition with RAGE,
which she co-founded with writer-director Rahul da Cunha
and actor Rajit Kapur. Though theatre is her home turf, she
is equally comfortable on screen and has worked in notable
Bollywood films like Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Black’ and
‘Guzaarish’, the latter earned her the Star Screen Award for
Best Supporting Actress. Her other credits include, Sooni
Taraporevala ‘s ‘Little Zizou’, the newest blockbuster starring
Aamir Khan, ‘Talaash’and Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Rockstar’.

CHARACTER DRIVEN
Mahbanoo Mody-Kotwal

About:

She has power to grab eyeballs the minute she walks into a
room or onto the stage or screen, that’s Mahbanoo ModyKotwal. Stand-up artiste, actor, director and producer all
rolled into one. She introduced India to Eve Ensler’s Vagina
Monologues. Her cinema credits include both Indian and
international - Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Black; ‘Merchant
Ivory’s Cotton Mary’, Sturla Gunnarsson’s ‘Such A Long
Journey’, Sooni Taraporevala’s ‘Little Zizou’, and most
recently, a Bollywood Rom-Com Bela Bhansali Sehgal’s
‘Shirin Farhad Ki Nikal Padi.’

Piroj Wadia is a journalist, film reviewer
(both Hindi and International) and copy
consultant of long standing. A former
Assistant Editor with Cine Blitz, The Daily
and TV & Video World, she has written
extensively on television and films for
Screen, Indian Express & Deccan Chronicle.
Other papers she writes for are Midday,
Afternoon Despatch & Courier, JameJamshed Weekly and One India One
People. She has served on the jury for
the ITA awards; and IDPA awards. She is
currently researching on Parsis in Cinema
which combines her passion for films and
her wanting to leave behind a legacy for her
community as a book.
December, 2013

WZCC Annual Meet-Singapore
WZCC once again excelled at the grand event in Singapore, which
took place at the reputed Hotel Marina Mandarin, on 4th January, 2013.

T

he
Annual
General
Meeting was a gathering of the
Global Zarathushti diaspora. The
overall atmosphere was one of optimism.
The Speakers highlighted the immense
opportunities available to our community
youth in diverse areas of businesses and
professions.
In his opening address, the Global President,
Mr. Minoo Shroff, eloquently spoke on the
credo of WZCC “Industry and Integrity”. He
stressed that these are the quintessential
qualities of our Zarathushti community
which have stood the test of time and have
been the bedrock of success of Zarathushti
enterprises. Given his wide experience and
sound judgment, he counseled the youth
never to stop learning. He countered the
oft-repeated question that is raised - “what
is in it for me” for becoming a member and
participating in activities of bodies like
ours. He emphasized that the very essence
of learning is through net-working. Besides,
those who have achieved success in life
should in turn ask the question “what can I
do to contribute”. This can be done only by
seniors sharing their invaluable experience
and thus empowering the younger
generation to fulfill their aspirations. He
elaborated on the huge opportunities for
trade and investments in South East Asia

66

SynergyZ

December, 2013

and other emerging countries. The centre of
gravity of global business is rapidly shifting
to the East with China and India being in
the vanguard. We should grapple it.
Mr. Rohinton Rivetna, the founder President
of WZCC gave a brief background of the
formation of WZCC. This Organization
which completed 12 years of its fruitful
existence has now grown and has served the
needs of our Community. If the businesses
grow, the Community grows. He further
mentioned that the business of business is
business and business and professionalism
always go together; for the overall benefit of
the Society.
Mr. Rustom Engineer, Global VicePresident, brought the “Economic Forum”
on the scene and introduced the Panel
Moderator, Mr. Neville Shroff, who specially
flew from Hong Kong.
Mr. Neville Shroff, Chairman and CEO
of Shroff & Co. Ltd. then introduced the
following Panel Members
i) Mr. Kai Taraporevala, Founder & MD,
Tethys Ventures, Singapore.
ii) Mr. Rajeev DeMello, Head of Asian
Fixed Income, Schroders Investment
Management Singapore.

Elaborating
further
the
business
scenario, Mr. Neville Shroff emphasized
the importance of new and upcoming
countries, namely, Vietnam, Cambodia,
Laos and Myanmar. Vietnam according
to him is just about 15 to 20 years behind
China. Cambodia is growing but has
limited capabilities. Laos has pro-business
Government there and has lowest labor
cost. Myanmar is a promising new market
and investment opportunities there are
plenty. However, he clarified that it would
be better to do business through Singapore
Banks. He elucidated that Hong Kong
is the biggest competition to Singapore.
The freest economy is Hong Kong and the
easiest economy to operate in is Singapore.
The simplicity of Tax system is enjoyed
by Hong Kong; and Hong Kong is the
most corruption free country. Although
Singapore has a young talented population,
Asia’s world city is Hong Kong. Singapore is
the preferred International Business Centre
in the Region and Hong Kong is preferable
to do business in China.
Mr. Kai Taraporevala then gave a very
interesting in-depth view of doing business
in ASEAN Countries. According to him
– Risks, challenges and opportunities are
huge. Very productive and young labor force
exists in these countries, infrastructure
is improving and manufacturing, service
industry together with Agriculture and
Community businesses are growing.
He further emphasized that one has
to consider important factors like the
concerned Culture, Selection of Local
Partner, Politics and the relevant Rules
and Regulations. He strongly advised that
under no circumstances one should indulge
in corruption; just do NOT do it he said; and
that one should have tremendous patience
as long term benefits are many.
Mr. Rajeev DeMello then succinctly
mentioned that Asia is strong in a weak

Minoo Shroff

Neville Shroff

global Environment. There is high saving
rate in Asia and moreover, Asia has a large
yield advantage over US, Europe and Japan.
Mr. Hosi Deboo narrated the importance
of doing business in Singapore as he
mentioned that Singapore is rated No.1 in
the world for ease of doing business. He
gladly stated that it takes just about one
to two days to incorporate a company in
Singapore.
Mr. Dorab Mistry then emphasized the
growth and opportunities of business in
the areas of Agri-commodities. Singapore,
according to him, is still the focal point.
“Godrej” invested in Vietnam as a
Singaporean Company.
Over the years, WZCC has spotted
Outstanding Old and Young individuals
in our Community who have meritoriously
excelled in their chosen field of activities
and have recognized their contribution. In
2012, following achievers were appropriately
lauded by our Community in the presence
of members coming from different parts of
the world.
These notable Awardees were:
a) Outstanding Zarathushti
Entrepreneurs of the Year 2012:
i) Ms. Homai Engineer, Chairperson
& MD, Industrial Boilers Ltd. and
co-winner
ii) Capt. Percy Meher Master,
Founder Chairman & MD of
Master Group of Cos.

c) Outstanding Young Zarathushti
Professional of the Year 2012:
i) Dr. Zuleika Homavazir, Head of
Department of Management
Studies, Wilson College
Mr. Russi Ghadially, one of the successful
early settlers in Singapore and the ExPresident of the Parsi Zoroastrian
Association of Singapore gave a vivid
historical review of how Parsis played
a significant role in the growth and
development of Singapore. This was most
revealing. He further added that Singapore
has world’s best labor force and high quality
of life.
Mr. Sanjiv Misra, President – Phoenix
Advisers Pte. Ltd. in his valedictory speech
mentioned how and why Singapore achieved
growth and prosperity. Singapore according
to him is the Wealth Capital of the World.
TATA Organization has a huge presence in
Singapore. Singapore has industry with a
deep rooted Integrity in all spheres of life.
It has Safety, Transparency, high degree of
Hygiene and excellent financial security.
Singapore plays a significant role in the
ASEAN countries and is now a significant
Economic Power of consequence. He went
further and said that while China operates

0 - Dec

13

r 20

Years

200

be

W

b

er

ng

Dece m

13
C Celebrat
i
ZC

em

more like a country, India operates more as
a Federation of States. However, according
to him one cannot afford to ignore India.
All said and done, according to Mr. Misra,
Singapore is currently facing several
challenges. The economic growth rate has
slowed down, it has rising inflation, costs
are rising, it has a declining human fertility
rate and of late, they have placed restraints
on foreigners. However, he is still of the
view that he will bet on Singapore; and
while doing so, he would prefer to follow
few basic principles. He said – do not risk
a lot, do not risk more than you can afford
to lose and think of having a local Partner
when you do business in Singapore.
Mrs. Homai Engineer, while accepting the
Award mentioned that the basic precept
on which her business is based is “Good
Thoughts, Good Words and Good Deeds.”
Capt. Percy Master emphasized the
importance of “Quality” in business. He
proudly mentioned that “our strength lies in
Quality we offer and that too consistently”.
Mr. Bhote while accepting the Award gladly
mentioned that he would cherish the same
forever. He proudly mentioned that at the
Ruby Hospital in Pune, treatments worth
2 million US dollars are given free of cost
every single year and moreover, no one
knows who is the “free patient”.
Dr. Zuleika Homavazir emphasized the
importance of ‘Honesty and Integrity’ and
happily declared that this Award bestowed
on her, honors her Integrity.
Ms Behroze Daruwalla, Secretary –
International Board of WZCC, proposed
a comprehensive vote of thanks. She
commended the very informative and lively
presentations by all the Speakers, which
made the proceedings both enlightening
and enjoyable. Above all, she commended
the fine sense of fellowship displayed by
all those present which made participation
such an enriching experience.

Text Courtesy – Parsi Times
Picture Courtesy - WZCC Mumbai

December, 2013

SynergyZ

67

WZCC Awards

Sam Balsara, MD Madison World presenting the Outstanding
Zarathushti Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 (Co-winner) Award to
Capt. Percy Master, Founder Chairman, Master Group of Companies.

brief profiles
Capt. Percy Master
Founder Chairman & Managing Director,
Master Group of Companies
A Master Mariner and an alumini of Training
Ship Dufferin, Capt. Percy M Master is a
true stalwart of the maritime industry, with
nearly four decades of experience at sea,
shore and as an entrepreneur.
After close to two decades with the Scindia
Steam Navigation Co., he founded the
Master Group of Companies and has guided
its emergence as a leading player in the
Maritime & Logistics sector.
The Master Group has revolutionized the
marine cargo and survey business in India
which is the backbone of the operations of
all shipping lines.
The Master Group continues to set new
bench marks in the Ship Agency, Logistics &
Supply Chain sectors and has also diversified
in to the Hydro Power Industry in its quest
for continued growth.
Capt. Master is determined to continue to
steer the fortunes of the Group towards more
innovative avenues.

Homai Engineer is a woman par excellence
who strongly believes in the adage - “Cling to
your dreams and do not allow them to wane.
Success will eventually follow”. Despite the
lack of formal technical education, Homai
Engineer handles the production at the IBL
plant in Vapi. Her boundless, enthusiasm,
dedication and hard work, are the main
ingredients to her success in this business.
She tackles each and every area of the
Industrial Organization, with diligence and
finances with great prudence. Her emphasis
on quality of product and commitments has
paid rich dividends.
Understanding the industrial growth of
India versus the acute power shortage she
set up a Steam Turbine manufacturing plant
in North India. Today both the factories
complement each other in giving complete
energy and environment solutions to the
industry, making it the first company in
the private sector to offer steam boiler and
micro steam turbine under a single point
guarantee. Today IBL offers under one roof
complete energy and environment solutions
such as boiler, turbines, pollution control
equipments, water treatment plants and
energy recovery solutions. “Service is our
motto, our experience is your guarantee”.
Her strength emanates from her two sons
- Rohinton Engineer and Cyrus Engineer
– who are the Directors of the Company.

Today IBL, along with IB-Turbo is the only
company in the range to manufacture both
boilers and turbines for complete power cogeneration projects which are most energy
efficient and least polluting boilers.
Apart from her work, Homai Engineer is
passionately involved in the women’s wings
of two organizations: the Gujarat Chamber
of Commerce and Industries (GCCI) and the
National Alliance of Young Entrepreneurs
(NAYE). She has been the recipient of several
prestigious awards including the National
Productivity Council’s Productivity Award
for Small Scale Units from the Industries
Minister, N. D. Tiwari.

DR. ZULEIKA FIRDOSH
HOMAVAZIR
Zuleika Homavazir completed her schooling
at the Gloria Convent High School, Byculla.
She then obtained her Bachelor’s Degree
in Management Studies from the coveted
Wilson College in 2004 and earned
the prestigious ‘Sir Dorabji Tata Merit
Scholarship Prize’ for excelling at academics.
At Pfizer India Ltd. in 2004, Zuleika held
positions of coordinating business projects
and simultaneously earned a Masters degree
in Commerce from Mumbai University
in 2006 and a Master’s degree in Human
Resource Management in 2007 from ISBM.

Rajeev De Mello, Director, Schroders Asia, presenting the Outstanding
Zarathushti Young Professional of the Year 2012 Award to
Dr. Zuleika Homavazir.

In 2006, at Novartis India Ltd., she held dual
strategic managerial positions managing
Credit Control and Human Resource at pan
India level and was awarded ‘The Learning
Agility Award’. In Nov, 2007 she served
Holcim South- Asia IT Services Ltd. and was
awarded ‘The Best Employee Award’.

recognition of dedication, devotion and
services rendered in the field of education
by the Lions Club International.

Zuleika’s zeal to teach, brought her to
Wilson College in 2008 as a Lecturer for
Management Studies, was promoted as
Head of Department and earned a Doctorate
in Management in 2009. Often referred as
the Iron Lady, her Department has been
ranked 4th best in the country and 2nd best
in Mumbai as per ranking by ‘India Today’
in June 2012.

In February this year, she was felicitated
by Dr. V.J. Sirwaiya, Hon’ble Secretary and
Principal, The John Wilson Education
Society for her contribution to the student
and the teaching fraternity.

Her brainchild ‘HOPE’ (Help Our People
Elevate) is a philanthropic event directed
towards upbringing the less fortunate
people in our society. She has been closely
working with Jeevan Asha – an old age home
and Bal Bhavan- a girl’s orphanage home to
better their lives.
Her exemplary efforts have been greatly
appreciated by the Chief Minister of
Maharashtra- Shri Prithviraj Chouhan,
our Home Minister - Shri R.R. Patil and
by the Minister of Technical and Higher
Education- Mr. Rajesh Tope and she was
awarded Certificates of Excellence.
In September 2012, she was awarded the
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Award in

In January this year, she received ‘The
Outstanding Young Zarathushti Professional
of the Year’ Award at the AGM of WZCC at
Singapore.

Bomi Bhote
Bomi Bhote is the Chief Executive Officer, of
Ruby Hall Clinic. A Mechanical Engineering
graduate from the Birla Institute of
Technology, Pilani, he proceeded to earn a
degree in International Trade in Rotterdam,
Holland in 1985, for which, he was awarded a
scholarship by the World Trade Organization
(WTO).
In 1986, The Indian Government honored
Bomi Bhote with “Bharat Gaurav” for
his invaluable contribution towards
international trade.

working for 8 years with GE, in the year 1997,
he took charge of Ruby Hall Clinic as their
Chief Executive Officer. Since then, Ruby
Hall from a 150 bedded nursing home, has
expanded to an internationally recognized
550 bedded multi specialty hospital. Under
his guidance and support Ruby Hall had a lot
of “firsts” in the city, state and country like the
first Image Guided Radiotherapy and PET
Scan in India. A nominee for “Administrator
of the Year” by GE Healthcare Awards, he set
up an 8 storied state of the art cancer centre
for which he received a shield from Dr. A.P.J.
Abdul Kalam, the former President of India.
He has also set up a nursing college. He
has assured Ruby Hall’s national and
international recognition through NABH &
NABL Accreditation and awards like “Best
company to work for: by Economic Times.
Ruby Hall Clinic received national award
for Best Medical Tourism Facility in India.
President Pratibha Devisingh Patil handed
over the award, conferred by the union
tourism ministry, on February 29, 2012 at
Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.
____________

Bomi Bhote started his professional career
with TELCO in 1975 as a management
trainee. He worked with Telco for 15 years
before joining General Electric (GE) as a Vice
President for their operations in India. After
December, 2013

When you think of the Indian woman, you
automatically think of the saree and it is as reminiscent of
this country as is the Taj Mahal. Be it the cheerful vibes at
traditional affairs or the commanding looks at a fashion
gala, a saree conveys it all at its best. It has captured the
world’s imagination and is no longer simply an Indian
phenomenon.

In the history of Indian clothing, the saree is traced back
to the Indus Valley Civilization, which flourished during
2800 –1800 BC around the western part of the Indian
subcontinent. The earliest known depiction of the saree
is the statue of an Indus Valley priest wearing a drape.
The word Saree is derived from Sanskrit “sai” which
means ‘strip of cloth’. This unstitched cloth ranging
from four to nine yards in length gives women a unique
identity. There are more than 80 recorded ways to wear a
sari. The Nivi is today’s most popular sari style, and then
there are others styles like the Bengali, Orissa, Gujarati,
Rajasthani, Maharashtrian and Konkani.
The saree made its first international debut, in the ‘50’s,
when Valentino created the saree dress. Since then, the
saree has ruled the international red carpet and has even
made several appearances in Hollywood films. Back in
India, Bollywood chronicled the changing face of the
Indian saree with simple hand crafted cottons back
in 1960’s, giving way to shimmering sequins, heavy
embroidery and of course the eternal song and dance
attire.
Every region, therefore, brings forward a trunk full of
sarees; each with a formidable identity and strong social
cultural influence. Each saree tells you something about
that region, about the community that made it, and even
about the sort of geography of that place. For example
the art of Kantha sarees has been kept alive by women
from West Bengal. Using a needle and thread these
women narrate their dreams and desires.
In Banaras, the credit for introducing brocade weaving
goes to the Aryans. Real gold and silver threads were used
at that time, to make brocade which was worn exquisitely
by royalty.
Similarly, the silk saree tradition of Kanchipuram, a
temple town in Tamil Nadu, goes back to the 3rd century
B.C when the Pallava dynasty ruled the territory. The
handcrafted tradition is based on strong contrast colors
with stark golden integrated weaves known as zaree. In
most households of Kanchipuram, weaving is a family
enterprise a skill and technique handed down from one
generation to another. There are two small rivers flowing
from the outskirts of Kanchipuram. One river is known
as Palar, the other is known as Vegavathy. From those
days onwards till today the people use only that river
water for bleaching and coloring the silk.
72

SynergyZ

December, 2013

In Rajasthan and Gujarat, the Bandhani
is a popular saree. Bandhani got its
name from the word ‘baandh’ which
means a ‘knot’. A plain piece of cloth in
muslin or cloth is tied and then dyed.
If one has to check the quality of the
Bandhani saree, the smaller the dots
and circles the more fine quality is the
saree.
Likewise, the Parsis who settled on the
west coast of India, specifically Gujarat,
were master weavers of tanchoi, which

got its name from the three (tan) Joshi
brothers of Surat, who went to China to
learn this art from the master weaver
Choi.
However, the most distinctive item
of the Parsi women’s clothing is the
gara, a sari embroidered with exotic
Chinese patterns – pagodas, pavilions,
bridges, peonies, bamboos, peacocks
and phonixes – executed mainly in
monochromatic white on brightly
colored silks. The garas today are
treasured as heirlooms to be proudly
worn on special occasions and
consciously preserved to be passed on
to the next generation. Latterly a new
stimulus has come from the UNESCOsupported Parzor Foundation. Among
its many initiatives, Parzor has been
endeavoring to preserve and promote
the old Parsi embroidery and holding
workshops and exhibitions. However,
enterprising
entrepreneurs
are
fashioning a modern look to the garas
by modifying patterns and creating
new ones, incorporating innovations
like the application of Swarovski
crystals, sequins and spangles, seed
pearls and beads on Chinese inspired
designs, thus broadening the overall
appeal.
While textile and emb roidery has long
association with Gujarat, for centuries
the main device used by artisans is the
Karchob (scroll frame), a traditional,

horizontal wooden frame to create a
spectrum of embroideries in India.
To keep up with the changing times,
designer Asif Shaikh has modified the
karchob (scroll frame) and turned the
craft into fashion statement. For the
past ten years he has been reviving
the Kutchi design using Ari (chain
stitch) on Karchob. One can see his

Karchob
penchant in the pieces made on silk,
georgette and chiffon available at his
studio in Ambawadi, Ahmedabad. His
clientele boasts of gharanas of India.
The turning point in Asif’s career came
when Victoria and Albert Museum
invited him to London to revive some
of the pieces of the Kutchi embroidery.
Asif holds exhibitions in various parts
of the world and is invited to speak at
prestigious seminars on textile.
Whether it’s traditional or a modern
avatar, the sari never fails. It is
interesting that the garment that goes
back to the Indus valley civilization still
has the ability to reinvent itself.
____________
December, 2013

Place the bowl on the stove. Put sugar
and caramelize it on slow fire
Pour the milk and eggs mixture into
the bowl and close the lid
Place the closed stainless steel bowl in
the pressure cooker
Put trivet at the bottom. Add 2 glasses
of water
Steam the custard for at least half an
hour or until set
Remove the bowl and cool the custard
Turn the bowl upside down on a
flat serving plate
Put the serving plate in the
refrigerator. Serve chilled.

Method:
• Sprinkle 1/2tsp lemon juice over the
cut fruits to avoid them from turning
brown
• Add in the ketchup and remaining
lemon juice
• Sprinkle the chaat masala salt and
pepper over the fruits
• Place the fruit mix in a salad bowl and
garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve chilled.

December, 2013

SynergyZ

77

Another Booming Opportunity – Dubai winning
Expo 2020 bid on 27th November 2013, will jump
start wave of new development projects and
boost economy.
Dubai is on the cusp of yet another development boom as
it seeks to strengthen its position as the leading business
and tourism hub in the Middle East region. Winning the
right to host the World Expo 2020, against contenders Sao
Paulo (Brazil), Ekaterinburg (Russia) and Izmir (Turkey),
UAE is going to see a plethora of benefits such as attracting
greater investment, a boom in employment, infrastructure
development and an increase in visitors leading up to
and during the Expo. What made Dubai the true winner
of the bid was its impressive track record in hosting
major events, its perseverance during crises, building
strong infrastructure, the right mind-certified security,
incomparable safety and splendid mobility.
Dubai’s bid to host the Expo will cost $8.7 billion in total $7.0 billion in investments and operating expenses of $1.7
billion. More than 277,000 jobs would be created between
2013 to 2020 as a result with about 40% in the travel and
tourism sector. Capital expenditure will mainly cover the
development of the Expo’s planned 4.4 sq.km plot in Jebel
Ali and connecting infrastructure such as extending the
Dubai’s Metro’s Red line. It is expected that Dubai Metro
Purple line will be fast tracked for completion along with
a host of other major projects. This would have a direct
and positive impact on UAE’s employment numbers with
additional work force needed for major construction
projects while new companies would also be expected set
up operation to serve other related Expo requirements.
This would include development of real estate projects
around Dubai World Central and expansion of Al
Maktoum International Airport itself accelerating its use
as a new passenger hub and acting as a further catalyst to
develop the airport transport and cargo infrastructure – a
key driver for the Emirates long term economic growth.
Furthermore the importance of Jebel Ali port will also be
increased tremendously with its strategic proximity to the
new airport, the port will act as a key corridor for transfer
of goods from sea to the expo site ultimately enhancing
Dubai’s competitiveness as a global trade hub.
The UAE has always given priority to business, highest
standard of quality of services to people and fairness
among the people of society. The UAE is diversifying in the
non oil sectors and Expo 2020 will boost up certain sectors
where UAE has established itself as a leader. The Expo
will definitely boost tourism, hospitality. Construction,
real estate and retail industry and demand for ancillary
services like health and medical, insurance, restaurants
and education to name a few will also boom. Some 25
million tourists nearly 70% of them international visitors,
are expected during the six months of World Expo 2020.
Lastly employment in all the sectors will be generated in
multitude like a battalion of ants. In short the city is ready
to welcome the world.
Text extracted from Khaleej Times - 27-11-2013